Ballad of the last TP roll
One single ripped roll of toilet paper on a shelf — a roll that the employee at this Walgreens store in Chicago wasn’t sure how it got there or if it should even be there — and yet with little shame, my family purchased it.
The last roll was a Big Roll, part of Walgreens' store brand assortment, and part of a buy 10 for $5 special, although I’m not sure if it was supposed to be packaged with nine others. Who knows the true story of this roll of toilet paper’s long journey into cart, but it’s one of many stories during the continued coronavirus shopping spree on toilet paper.
The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to squeeze the supply chain tightly, even if sales seem to be slightly dipping, per Nielsen’s latest numbers. I will be moderating a webinar with Dawn Nowicki, vice president of business development and marketing at Mold-Rite Plastics, on how manufacturers and retailers have been keeping up with the supply chain. Register here.
Winn Dixie
Winn Dixie, a Southeastern Grocers store, stacked up its private brand Chek soda in a store in Port Richey, Fla. The retailer was offering a four for $11 special and had a massive amount of 12-packs stacked for the taking.
Also near boxes of its store brand cereal under the Southeastern Grocers name, the store had an inspirational shelf sign under the headline, “Stronger Together.” While many retailers put up signage to announce purchasing limits, this store goes a bit further to impress up on the human nature of shoppers during the pandemic. It’s very neat to see.
The sign continued to read: “We are here to serve our customers to the best of our ability throughout this unprecedented situation. Please be kind to one another and limit yourselves only to what you really need at this time. We thank our heroic associates who are here to serve you and the community.”
