Walmart, Amazon, and Target are close to selling out of toilet paper online as panic-buyers decimate supplies
- Walmart, Target, and Amazon were all running low on toilet paper online Thursday amid a wave of panic-buying triggered by coronavirus fears.
- For many out-of-stock toilet paper varieties Amazon's website states, "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."
- Walmart is still getting plenty of shipments of toilet paper, but people are buying the products as soon as they become available, a Walmart spokesperson said.
- Target and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the shortages.
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US shoppers are decimating some retailers' supplies of toilet paper as fears mount about the novel coronavirus.
Early Thursday, Walmart, Target, and Amazon were all out of stock online of many toilet paper brands and varieties, according to reviews of the retailers' websites.
It's unclear when many of the products will be restocked.
Both Walmart and Target had few or no options early Thursday for delivery of toilet paper of any kind. At one point, two toilet paper varieties became available for delivery through Walmart's site, but both sold out within 10 minutes, according to frequent checks of the website.
Both companies appeared to have a supply of toilet paper in their stores, however. The retailers' sites both showed several varieties of toilet paper that were available for in-store pickup only.
A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider that the company is getting plenty of shipments of toilet paper, but people are buying the products as soon as they become available. Target did not respond to a request for comment.
Amazon is also running low on most types of toilet paper, according to a review of its website.
The company's site on Thursday provided in-stock dates for some sold-out varieties. An 18-pack of Charmin Ultra Gentle toilet paper should be back in stock in April 17, for example, according to Amazon's website.
For many other out-of-stock toilet paper products, Amazon provided no guidance on availability, saying only: "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock."
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
Consumers globally have been panic-buying paper goods amid the threat of the coronavirus, even though experts say it's not necessary to keep any more supplies than you might need for a 14-day quarantine.
"Having some supply of toilet paper in the house is worthwhile," Dr. Manisha Juthani, an associate professor of medicine of infectious diseases and epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale School of Medicine, told Business Insider's Irene Jiang. "But stockpiling toilet paper is also not necessary."
Several retailers have started limiting purchases of toilet paper and other items as shoppers rush to stockpile goods.
Walmart said Wednesday that it is giving store managers the power to enforce purchase limits on items that are in high demand, such as cleaning supplies and toilet paper. Kroger and Target have also recently started limiting some purchases.
"We are working to replenish those items quickly, including diverting products to areas of the country where they are needed most and routing deliveries directly to stores," Walmart said.
