Stores wiped clean of toilet paper, but experts say not to panic
A lone roll of Cottenelle toilet paper sits on the shelf of Superlo’s East Memphis location Oct. 3. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Jeff Churchwell’s shelves at the SuperLo in East Memphis were looking pretty well-stocked with toilet paper on Monday. Then, news hit that 50,000 longshoremen were going on strike on the East and Gulf Coasts.
When the store opened Tuesday morning, Oct. 1, shoppers in a panic emptied his 330 feet of shelving devoted to toilet paper, in a replay of what happened during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That first day, there were a lot that were panicking on the toilet paper, especially. I think during COVID, it was so hard to come by, I think people got nervous about the dockworkers strike,” said Churchwell, manager of the grocery store in the shopping center next to Target on Colonial Road. “Within a day and a half, it’s been left pretty empty. From what I hear, many places in town had that happen. … I think it created some fear in some folks.”
Strike closes East, Gulf coasts’ ports; locals hope for quick solution
Social media snapshots and videos have shown similar situations at stores in Memphis and elsewhere in the country, especially regarding toilet paper. But the fear is misplaced, local economists and others said Thursday ...
Topics
Subscriber Only International Longshoremen's Association Superlo FoodsThank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization with a hybrid business model, we rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and miscellaneous earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.