Coronavirus demand drives Walmart toilet paper sales
Supply chain is working to meet demand, Walmart executive says
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Walmart has “found a new normal” in order to keep its shelves stocked amid the coronavirus pandemic, even as shoppers stock up on food and needed home goods.
Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s executive vice president of corporate affairs, told FOX News’ Dana Perino Thursday that the company has been selling enough toilet paper every five days to give every single American a roll each. In three hours, the stores will sell as much paper goods as they typically go through in three days.
Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs at Walmart (FOX News)
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Still, the company has been working to rapidly restock items. To help deal with the added demand, Walmart had pledged to hire 150,000 additional employees. Bartlett said the company has already hired more than 100,000 workers in the past three weeks.
There’s “no reason to hoard, no reason to pack up for several weeks,” he said.
There were more than 432,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Thursday and more than 15,000 people in the U.S. have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
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While Walmart has been taking some precautions like installing Plexiglas barriers at cash registers and controlling the number of customers in a store at any given time, Bartlett said shoppers should still be responsible and visit stores alone, rather than bringing the whole family, in order to minimize contact amid coronavirus-related social distancing guidelines.
“The food supply is there,” Bartlett said. “The products are under heavy demand, so shop responsibly.”