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 ...
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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.
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