Costco Shoppers See Toilet Paper, Water Disappear From Store Shelves As Shortages Strike Again

Costco (COST) customers may once again face empty shelves for some products when shopping at the retailer’s wholesale stores.

As cases of the coronavirus Delta variant surge across the U.S., customers of the chain store are taking to social media to report shortages of toilet paper, paper towels, water, and more, reports Fox News.

Some customers referred to the panic buying that occurred in the early days of the pandemic, back in March 2020, when consumers hoarded items such as toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and Clorox wipes, causing massive shortages of the products throughout the country.

Many of the essential cleaning and paper products weren’t found on store shelves for months, and when they were, many retailers implemented a limit on the quantity that could be purchased to allow more customers to buy the items.

Shoppers have balked at the latest Costco product shortages, with one Twitter user saying, “What is wrong with people? Did we not learn from last year at all? I pulled up to Costco and they are out of toilet paper and water.”

Another Costco customer wondered, “Why people are crazy after toilet paper?”

Another Costco shopper warned that the empty store shelves were a “sign of the times to come.”

One consumer agreed, simply saying, “Here we go.”

But toilet paper and water are not the only products that were being reported in short supply as an early August report from Eat This, Not That said items such as canned dog food, chips, oils, frozen chicken nuggets, and Costco-brand sauces were also facing shortages.

And according to customer reports, some Costco stores have been implementing purchase limits on branded water to five cases.

Even Reddit users were reporting water disruptions at Costco, posting pictures of store signs that said, “We are currently out of water” with no ETA for delivery, as reported by Fox News.

As of Thursday's premarket hours, shares of Costco were trading at $439.50, down $6.71, or 1.50%.