Las Vegas Valley residents might get deja vu walking into warehouse retailers as people stock up on toilet paper due to the massive East Coast dockworkers strike.
But panic buying might make it worse, according to the Retail Association of Nevada.
Around 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association are on strike from Maine to Texas as of Tuesday, affecting the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard. The union is striking for a new six-year contract and better wages from the United States Maritime Alliance, which includes a $5-per-hour wage increase. No negotiations are scheduled at this time.
As a result, people have started panic buying toilet paper.
“There’s absolutely, very little reason consumers should be changing their shopping behaviors at this time,” said Bryan Wachter, senior vice president for the Retail Association of Nevada. “In fact, those particular actions are going to be what causes more of a disruption to the supply chain than the Longshoremen strike at this point.”
According to the Alliance for American Manufacturing, the vast majority of toilet paper sold in the United States is made in the U.S.
The Centennial, southwest Henderson and Martin Luther King Boulevard locations of Costco were completely sold out of toilet paper shortly after opening Wednesday. The Summerlin and Marks Street in Henderson warehouse have around 600 left as of Wednesday afternoon, but are selling out quickly.
At the southwest Henderson location off Saint Rose Parkway, toilet paper sold out within 30 minutes of opening, but are expecting a new shipment tomorrow, according to a store associate.
According to the Sam’s Club website, some brands of toilet paper are still available at all warehouses across the Valley, but a note has been added to the website: “due to high demand, please visit your local club for availability.”
Sam’s Club shoppers at the Serene Avenue location are not affected currently as of Wednesday, with Quilted Northern, Charmin Ultra Strong and Ultra Soft still available.
“I think for some folks, COVID-19 is still in our short-term memory,” Wachter said.
Wachter said the “vast majority” of products will be available currently, with perishable items like produce being the exception. If negotiations are prolonged, however, then people will start seeing the impact.
Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X. The Associated Press contributed to the this report.