TP shortage caused by hoarders? Not so fast...

[rickeieio]

3 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Kirk, thank you for not posting that earlier, or I would have had coffee all over my desk.

[Darryl&Rita]

1 hour ago, rickeieio said:

Kirk, thank you for not posting that earlier, or I would have had coffee all over my desk.

Rickeieio; given that there are only 2 times of day now, coffee and alcohol, what ended up on your desk? 

[Dutch_12078]

2 hours ago, sandsys said:

But, routines have been disrupted. According to the original post bathroom stops we used to make at school, work, restaurants, etc. are all happening at home now so the need for residential TP did, indeed, increase.

Linda

Then why are the commercial account distributors also having trouble keeping TP in stock as well?

[sandsys]

20 minutes ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Then why are the commercial account distributors also having trouble keeping TP in stock as well?

Distribution systems have also been disrupted. Manufacturers are having trouble getting supplies and shipping products. Trucking companies were already understaffed before people began staying home. Our daughter's boyfriend was working full time over the fall and winter just trying to recruit new drivers before this pandemic even got started. I don't understand why all of this is so hard for you to understand. 

Linda

[rickeieio]

2 hours ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Rickeieio; given that there are only 2 times of day now, coffee and alcohol, what ended up on your desk? 

Well, there is a time in between when we drink water.....  As I remember, you are not a fan of alcohol, so you likely have some other weakness.

On the other hand, we must really be bored to spend this much time debating something so trivial as "rectal ribbon," or as the Aussies say, "Pooh Tickets."

[Dutch_12078]

2 hours ago, sandsys said:

Distribution systems have also been disrupted. Manufacturers are having trouble getting supplies and shipping products. Trucking companies were already understaffed before people began staying home. Our daughter's boyfriend was working full time over the fall and winter just trying to recruit new drivers before this pandemic even got started. I don't understand why all of this is so hard for you to understand. 

Linda

I understand what you're saying, but apparently it's you that's not seeing the larger picture that emptied the stores and distributors TP supplies and outstripped the manufacturing capabilities for no discernible reason related to COVID-19 or any other diseases. People started hoarding TP early on and the system is just now starting to catch up with the unexpected demand to some degree. The shortages started well before companies were laying off staff. If TP buying had stayed at normal levels, there would be virtually no widespread shortages. There was just no rationale for the run on the stuff in the first place. Now it's a case of trying to catch up with limited personnel available as people are grabbing product as soon as it hits the shelves because they don't know if it will be there when they need it later on. 

[ms60ocb]

4 hours ago, sandsys said:

Manufacturers are having trouble getting supplies and shipping products.  Linda

And part of the problem for home consumers is getting the right packing the the product.

Never was a real finding eggs for sale. Oh maybe the 6, 12 or 18 egg package were out you could  find a box 30 dozen. Same thing Toilet Paper who wanted the the big 10 inch ? rolls.  Restaurants and their suppliers has surplus.

Clay in Central Texas

[Jaydrvr]

1 hour ago, Dutch_12078 said:

I understand what you're saying, but apparently it's you that's not seeing the larger picture that emptied the stores and distributors TP supplies and outstripped the manufacturing capabilities for no discernible reason related to COVID-19 or any other diseases. People started hoarding TP early on and the system is just now starting to catch up with the unexpected demand to some degree. The shortages started well before companies were laying off staff. If TP buying had stayed at normal levels, there would be virtually no widespread shortages. There was just no rationale for the run on the stuff in the first place. Now it's a case of trying to catch up with limited personnel available as people are grabbing product as soon as it hits the shelves because they don't know if it will be there when they need it later on. 

Precisely that ^^^^^^^. Possibly due to media stories as depicted in the video I referenced. Jay

[Ray,IN]

On 4/6/2020 at 2:17 PM, chirakawa said:

If I was going to hoard anything, it would be produce.  With the borders closed, there's no one to pick the crop in the field.  I saw on the news where they interviewed a farmer with 70,000 acres and no one to harvest it.  Normally, he uses migrant workers from Mexico on work visas.

Another large farmer in S. Georgia said his migrant workers are stuck in Guatemala, borders are closed. He expects to go broke if he can't hire enough pickers.

Do I remember reading the present U.S.A. unemployment is near 5%, or 7.1 million workers?

Edited April 9, 2020 by Ray,IN

[Barbaraok]

21 hours ago, Pat & Pete said:

There can't be a shortage . I went to the store this morning and found a skid filled with TP . 

Still in original packages .

No worries . we're set for a while , as I bought an 8 pack . 

That's great for your area.  Not true where I am at the moment.  Also, I can't go into stores as my hubby just had open heart surgery and is recovering at home - - I have to pickup groceries, etc.   Things are not equal in all areas around the country.  

[durangodon]

Here's an AP story on the shortage.  It gives a few buying and usage statistics.  It says Americans use an average of one roll every 2 1/2 days.

Why a TP shortage.

[Pat & Pete]

31 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

   Things are not equal in all areas around the country.  

They never have been or ever will be . 

It's part of the 'beauty' . We have choices . 

[hemsteadc]

2 hours ago, durangodon said:

  It says Americans use an average of one roll every 2 1/2 days.

I think that must be for cheap toilet paper. Scott lasts a lot longer than that.

Other stuff has posted limits in my local grocery, like  eggs and paper towels.

Edited April 9, 2020 by hemsteadc

[durangodon]

1 hour ago, hemsteadc said:

I think that must be for cheap toilet paper. Scott lasts a lot longer than that.

Other stuff has posted limits in my local grocery, like  eggs and paper towels.

I don't know where they got their data.  It's pretty accurate for me.  I buy double rolls and get 5 or 6 days out of them.

[Jaydrvr]

Attached is the exact problem in all this. WARNING! Adult language and references. I have no way to edit those out. Jay

https://youtu.be/cSLrbYsqZ4o

[Pappy Yokum]

Local Costco(s) have plenty - Charmin - but not Kirkwood brand.

Here's the downside.........

I saw a car full of obviously bored HS kids pull up to a nearby home (also home to HS kids) late last  night.  They all got out and "TP'd" the house, and the tree in the front yard. 

Just like the Repo man - gone in 30 seconds.!

While I was still shaking my head in disbelief.........a second car pulled up.  Figured here comes the another bunch of kids - or somebody was a bit slow to give 'em a piece of their mind for such a wasteful display!

Nope! - two elderly couples got out and proceeded to collect the TP !  One elderly gent climbed into the lower branches of the tree and tossed down TP "strips" to his wife below......while she hollered, "Hurry up Milt, we gotta see where they're going next !!".

Next time I'll have my video camera ready...😁

.

 

[rpsinc]

Not sure what is driving the DEMAND part of the equation, but I used to make Charmin & Bounty, 15 years of that ending in 1989.  The plants ran 24/7 then and still are.  Supply is good but hoarding it makes the curve out of balance.  Just hoping that at some point the TP virus curve will level out like the Covid virus curve.  For all concerned this cant and shouldnt continue.  It affects us all.  And TP is ONLY 1 example.  See Hydroxycholoroquin, Tylenol, N95 masks, PPE, some groceries.  The best approach is MODERATION.  Its what those in my house are practicing.

As an essential worker, I have mixed feelings everytime I go to work.  I appreciate the work, appreciate the $, appreciate the getting out of the house to keep the supply chain functioning(I work in distribution warehouses), but cant help but wonder if the risk is worth it.

Please all, be safe and wear your masks.  The life you save might be your own.

[Kirk W]

In this part of the country (north TX), supplies are starting to improve. Our local CVS had both store brand and Scotts in TP and Bounty & store brand in paper towels. Our son reports a good supply of store brand paper products at Sam's Club. 

[Dutch_12078]

Around our part of the northeast, Angel Soft TP seems to be the brand making the fastest comeback. Not in huge amounts, but I've heard of at least four area stores that have had some on the shelves for the past week or so along with occasional house brands. I sure would like to see some Charmin Ultra Soft though...

[rynosback]

Costco had a pallet with about 10 cases. Left 5 minutes latter it was empty. Every cart in the place had one and most with paper towels in it also. So I was excited to be able to put one in my cart before it was gone. And this was the Kirkland brand, not a main name. 

[TLRam1]

To stop the hoarding, let supply and demand pricing take place and all this stops. Of course food distributors have plenty, buy from them. The cases are normally 48 half case or 96 count full case, ask any restaurant to order it for you.

[Barbaraok]

Meat will be the next "run" since a lot of  meat packing operations are closing because of huge numbers of employees with COVID19 virus from working shoulder to shoulder.   Also, not all states allow restaurants to sell 'supply' items directly to public.  Arizona has  promulgated emergency regulation to allow restaurants to sell excess TP, paper towels, etc to public.

[richfaa]

It is kind of hard to hoard in a RV due to limited space. We did see hoarding in Central Florida folks coming out of Publix with shopping carts full of "stuff" We have not had a problem  buying what we needed. We are now home in Northern Ohio and we have no problems.

[K5RCD]

On 4/5/2020 at 3:36 PM, pjstough said:

People were hoarding TP way before restaurants started closing.

Do you  reckon they take TRADE- INS ?