As COVID-19 cases keep rising in Southern California, employees are keeping the shelves stocked in the stores.
Many customers are once again loading up on essentials like the ever important and once-disappearing toilet paper that left many scrambling this spring when they couldn’t find a roll.
Toilet paper was disappearing when lockdowns were first ordered, with many fighting to get their hands on a pack, and now photos of empty store shelves are starting to pop up again on social media.
Photos from a Target store in Tustin and a Walmart in Irvine show nearly empty shelves.
Ralph’s — owned by Kroger— has once again posted signs limiting customers to two packs at most.
Their other store, Food 4 Less, hasn’t put any restrictions in place.
“Don’t panic. Don’t overbuy. Our supply is strong,” Vanessa Rosales, corporate affairs director of Food 4 Less, said. “Get your shopping done early if you can.”
Representatives of Ralph’s and Food 4 Less say they are confident that the supply chain is strong and will hold steady and again.
Because it’s the holiday season, Food 4 Less officials say they are working to keep everything stocked in the store. Sometimes you might notice empty shelves, but that can mean shipments are late or they haven’t gotten around to get out and stock everything that’s needed in the store.
Following the election, some shoppers have questioned if President-Elect Joe Biden will put any strict lockdowns into place if COVID-19 cases surge.
Some shoppers said they stocked up before the vote, fearing unrest.
Charmin officials said in May they’ve been staffing up at their factory in Oxnard and they’re still seeing continued demand for their products.
In a statement, Charmin said: “Together with our supply partners, we continue to produce and ship Charmin 24/7. Yet, still today, consumers are purchasing at record levels.”
Suppliers and stores were asking everyone to buy only what they need, and think of their neighbors to make sure there’s enough toilet paper to go around.
