Toilet Paper Story

In the early days of the pandemic, when people were first asked to stay home, when governments closed businesses and communities became frightened. There was panic buying and hoarding. 

Stores began experiencing shortages of certain items. One of the most notable of the many empty shelves was the lack of toilet paper. There were films and pictures in the media trying to hoard toilet paper and the images of panicky shoppers with carts piled high with toilet paper fed the frenzy.

There were other things in short supply or nonexistent like cleaning wipes but the run on TP captured everyone's imagination and concern. Some stores soon began restricting the amount of TP that could be purchased at one time. Soon it became a joyful moment to score a roll of toilet paper somewhere. People also began hoarding paper towels and tissue paper as backups. We ran around looking for TP too.

So what happened? There were many other supply issues around the country and in particular for medical equipment and masks which is more understandable but why toilet paper. It turns out that there were two different supply chains and networks for what was essentially two different products for two different markets. Who knew? 

There is a home market that is fed through the regular box stores and supermarkets. These rolls of toilet paper are usually smaller and softer and are used in people's homes. There is also a different industrial/institutional distribution network that supplies toilet paper to schools, colleges, office buildings, industrial plants, etc. These rolls are longer and thinner and come in very large packs. The pandemic disrupted both supply chains but in different ways.

When workplaces and schools closed and people stayed home the two markets reacted differently. The institutional market came to a halt and much of the TP in that supply chain stopped being delivered and stayed in warehouses around the country. It was the home market supplied by stores that quickly sold out. People who would normally be using much of the TP in schools and workplaces were all at home using TP from the home market which were smaller roles and available in smaller quantities. Then the panic shortages began and people began hoarding what they could find.

Eventually things settled down and TP no longer became an issue. However, we still have a large pack stored away in the basement in case another wave of virus recreates the problem.