Costco reinstated the limit on purchases of toilet paper and water
With the spread of the Delta variant in the US, the decision came after a shortage of toilet paper
Costco again limited the purchase of basic items such as toilet paper and packs of its private-label Kirkland water to prevent shortages that happened in August. Customers are buying more and more of these items amid the spread of the Delta variant in the United States, justifies the brand.
According to Business Insider, Costco decided on purchase limits earlier this month, but did not confirm which items were limited or that the limits were a reaction to spikes in demand.
The store’s consumers had already warned about the shortage and some customers stocked the items, which helped to limit purchases, as in the beginning of the pandemic.
“Didn’t we learn anything from last year? I parked at Costco and they’re out of toilet paper and water. These people never learn,” said a person on Twitter.
Costco imposed the latest limits in reaction to “the uptick in the Delta-related demand,” Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said in a call with analysts.
According to the CFO, it is not just customer demand for certain items that is causing the shortage, but that supply chain issues were also a problem for the retailer.
He sets an example with antibacterial wet wipes, without specifying the brand. “A year ago there was a shortage of merchandise, now they’ve got plenty of merchandise, but there’s two- to three-week delays on getting it delivered,” he said.
