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AIME WILLIAMS: I'm on a mission to find toilet roll. Weeks up to the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it's still hard to source. Here in Washington, the shop shelves are bad. But one place I know that should still have some, is the office.
There's nobody there, we're all working from home. So surely there's a big supply there that must be going unused. Nobody won't mind if I just sneak in and help myself.
Well, the office toilet paper isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing. Question is, what can this teach us about supply chains? And where has the rest of the toilet paper gone?
Shortages aren't just a US problem. Coronavirus lockdowns meant bare shelves from east to west. Initially, the issue was put down to stockpiling, people panic buying, and Herd mentality. Nobody wants to be the one that's caught short.
But from another point of view, you could claim consumers are being sensible. More time at home, means more toilet rolls needed. Paper manufacturer, Georgia Pacific, reckons the average US household will use about 40% more paper by staying home. Instead of about three roles each person per week, that's more than four.
The disruption we're talking about isn't the global supply of raw paper pulp. It's about how the paper gets made, and who is for. The market for toilet paper is split between commercial and consumer uses. That's things like offices, restaurants, and hotels, and people buying it for themselves at home. And the two markets are completely different.
So you can't shift commercial toilet paper into the shops. The paper you buy at the supermarket is packaged and branded in rolls of six or 12, nicely decorated, and often has ointments or sense added to it. But the supply for officers usually lacks that luxury touch. They come from different paper mills, and involve different production standards. The packaging itself doesn't just look different. You need to be able to scan it through to tell.
US supermarket toilet paper sales rose 71% year on year in the nine weeks to May the 2nd, according to Nielsen. And in March, US mills produced their highest monthly total of tissue and toilet paper, around 700,000 tonnes, according to the American Forest and Paper Association.
Procter and Gamble boosted production to try and meet demand by focusing on its most popular brands. And as cities reopen, manufacturers are now preparing for a rebound in sales of commercial paper.
Toilet paper is just one item, but it goes to show how easily or supply chains can be disrupted. Of course, with disruption come moneymaking opportunities. Restaurants in DC have been offering takeout toilet paper. And as for bidet sales, well, they've shot up.
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