Toilet Paper Apocalypse Is Happening At Costco As Canadians Stock Up For COVID-19 (VIDEO)
Do they really need that much?
The spread of coronavirus has people worried. They've started stocking up on essential items, with one in particular going faster than anything else. Costco's toilet paper in Canada is flying off the shelves, leaving some areas with low stock.
Canadian Costco locations have already started to run out of other essential items, including canned foods, meat, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes. Toilet paper also made the list.
However, the bathroom tissue issue has spread globally and became a real problem in places like Australia, where fights have broken out in stores over packs of rolls. This is despite the fact that the government has said there is no shortage.
Dwindling supplies in the country have also forced stores to start placing buying limits on toilet paper, allowing people to only buy four packs at a time.
Meanwhile, in Canada, scenes and stories from inside Costco locations have been shared on Twitter, where users have pointed out just how desperate people are to get there hands on some TP.
"This is the toilet paper section at Costco in Moncton... ridiculous!!!" wrote @dwolfie21. The statement was accompanied by a photo of the completely empty toilet paper section.
Other users like @1goatroti took videos of the massive lines of people waiting to just get into the store.
"Get to @costcocanada right when they open, they said, Shouldn't be too bad, they said. People usually get there around 10:30 or so, they said. This was 9:35am and the line curved around the side of the building," they wrote.
Other Twitter users took the opportunity to point out that panic-buying so much toilet paper, especially at only one location, might not be the best strategy, even with the rising number of Canadian coronavirus cases.
"Here in Canada, my local Costco sold out of toilet paper yesterday in under an hour. Every. Other. Store. Has. Stock. People, as a herd, are not smart," wrote @dedrie77.
"Costco Canada sold out of toilet paper, paper towels and tissue. The calm, level headed neighbour of the US has lost its mind. Why aren’t we stock piling maple syrup, bacon and hockey pucks like true Canadians?! FYI my family really needs toilet paper — we are down to 4 rolls," wrote @Kids_kubed.
People in the Calgary subreddit also couldn't help but point out the ridiculousness of stocking up solely on toilet paper during the outbreak.
However, the real comedic hero of the entire toilet paper panic might be Dave London, who was interviewed outside of Costco by CTV News.
"I don't know if we're going to make it through this, but now that I've got my stock of toilet paper, I know my family will be safe," London told CTV News reporter Jordan Cunningham.
"When we go to the barter system, which will be very shortly, in my opinion, I think that my toilet paper is going to be able to be traded for alcohol, which I think is more important."
Wise words for panicked times.