Article

2020-03-18 Economy

[LA Times] As the coronavirus pandemic has spread, Americans have taken to stores to clear out shelves of hand sanitizer, canned goods and other emergency rations.

For some reason, they've also started panic-buying toilet paper.

But despite the photos of empty shelves popping up on social media, is there in fact any risk to the nation’s toilet paper pipeline?

The short answer: no.

"It’s not like suddenly all the toilet paper factories in the world are burning down," said Willy Shih, a professor at Harvard Business School who studies manufacturing supply chains. "They’re still cranking this stuff out."

If anything, toilet paper supplies are suffering from being too steady, Shih says. Typically, demand for the product is flat proportional to the population ‐ there is no hot season for toilet paper. That means that factories are designed to run as efficiently as possible around the clock to produce a constant stream of product, with little room for increase or decrease.

When that constant supply meets a spike in demand, shoppers suddenly run into empty shelves.

Toilet paper is also distinct from products such as hand sanitizer and coronavirus test kits, where increased use means that there is a genuine risk of shortages. Barring a new craze for mummy costumes, the actual use of toilet paper is unlikely to increase.
And, by the way...
Only people who are at higher risk of serious illness from the virus, either from age or other medical conditions, are truly in need of stockpiling enough toilet paper to last for the duration of the outbreak, since going back out to the store for fresh rolls may put their safety at risk (though delivery services should be available as supplies replenish).

Other countries with severe outbreaks have not suffered total shutdowns of stores or illness rates that disabled the logistics and paper industries. In Italy and parts of China that went into full lockdown, grocery stores remained open, as did factories producing essential products.

Posted by Bobby 2020-03-18 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 The rush on toilet paper was a rational reaction to the incomplete information provided by the press. They reported on the run on TP in Australia without explaining that Australia DOES import TP, but the US makes most of our own with the remainder coming from Canada.

Posted by Rob Crawford 2020-03-18 00:49|| 2020-03-18 00:49|| Front Page Top

#2 Yeah but don't forget once socialists take over, toilet paper tends to vanish for good. See Venezuela.

Here in Germany, toilet paper is back, hand sanitizers are still missing.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-03-18 00:52|| 2020-03-18 00:52|| Front Page Top

#3 Coronavirus and Socialism have much in common.

Posted by Varmint Splat1454 2020-03-18 01:54|| 2020-03-18 01:54|| Front Page Top

#4 Shih says Shitshow shows how Schickimicki cheeky-Chandler-press sherlocks' saying "Sheesh!" shoos away shotgun-shaming/shushing of Charming-shtockpiling shockktroops

Posted by Lex 2020-03-18 02:14|| 2020-03-18 02:14|| Front Page Top

#5 *Charmin-stockpiling

Posted by Lex 2020-03-18 02:15|| 2020-03-18 02:15|| Front Page Top

#6 I went shopping yesterday at the local supermarket. Not a single roll of TP in the place. Also gone or largely depleted: pasta, pasta sauces, canned soups, ground beef (?), canned vegetables, pork, and frozen dinners.

The store was practically deserted. I remarked about that to the checkout clerk, and he said vast crowds were there over the weekend and cleaned the place out like a horde of locusts.

Driving through town on the way to the store, the streets were practically deserted; normally at that hour it would be bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go traffic.

The parking area out front of our apartment complex has 40 parking spots. Normally at mid-day there would be about 5-10 cars in the lot, with everyone else gone to work. Yesterday I counted 36 cars in the lot.

Nothing is open in town; it's dead. I fear a massive economic collapse if this shit goes on much longer.

Posted by Dave D. 2020-03-18 04:39|| 2020-03-18 04:39|| Front Page Top

#7 Today almost all stores closed in Munich except food and drugstores. Food market was open, delicious fresh fruit from Italy, Spain, Portugal.

Posted by European Conservative 2020-03-18 04:44|| 2020-03-18 04:44|| Front Page Top

#8 I have not bought TP in years!
My roll of TP collects dust!
I have varicose veins, varicocele and hemorrhoids.
TP is worthless.
Only a thorough cleaning with soap and water will relieve symptoms.

Posted by boomerc 2020-03-18 04:58|| 2020-03-18 04:58|| Front Page Top

#9 TMI.

Posted by Albemarle Bourbon4037 2020-03-18 05:22|| 2020-03-18 05:22|| Front Page Top

#10 I went to a grocery store the other day to pick up a couple of things and some of the shelves looked like the shelves in some cold-war Communist country--empty. People seem to be panic buying in case of a long hunker down.

Posted by JohnQC 2020-03-18 08:59|| 2020-03-18 08:59|| Front Page Top

#11 That was a case in Israel a few days ago - but now it's back to normal.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-03-18 09:05|| 2020-03-18 09:05|| Front Page Top

#12 :Hmmm: I was wondering if it was a feeling that DIY facemasks would need to be made at home from TP and duct tape .... hence the shortage. Internet rumor about shortages sounds more plausible.

Posted by magpie 2020-03-18 13:15|| 2020-03-18 13:15|| Front Page Top

#13 Confusing respiratory flu with stomach.

Posted by Woodrow 2020-03-18 17:55|| 2020-03-18 17:55|| Front Page Top

#14 Ah picked up two little dogs at the pound.
Self-cleaning AND reusable!

Posted by Skidmark 2020-03-18 18:38|| 2020-03-18 18:38|| Front Page Top

#15 Can't figger out why they keep runnin away from me.

Posted by Skidmark 2020-03-18 18:42|| 2020-03-18 18:42|| Front Page Top

14:02 Super Hose
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13:22 Difar Dave
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12:46 MikeKozlowski
12:44 swksvolFF
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