The gas crisis in Germany could also mean that toilet paper, which was coveted by hamsters during the pandemic, could become scarce again.
Frankfurt – At the height of the pandemic, when contact restrictions and corona lockdowns were in force, among other things, consumers in the supermarket remembered one sight in particular: empty toilet paper shelves. The enormously increased demand for drugstore items and the veritable “hoarding” of many households, which bought significantly more toilet paper than usual, caused the wholesalers’ supply chain system to be overloaded. Customers from Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and other supermarkets were also left behind.
There are also psychological reasons why toilet paper in particular was often missing and encouraged hamster purchases in the supermarket. Experts explained the phenomenon with game theory, among other things: If some start with buying hamsters, it is the best strategy to follow this example. When the corona measures were first relaxed and grocers such as Aldi, Lidl and Rewe reduced the sales volume to one pack per household, the situation eased. But soon there could be new problems due to a current development.
| Average consumption per German citizen (year) | 134 rolls |
| Toilet paper production in Germany (year) | 750,000 tons |
| Toilet Paper Exports (YoY) | 125,000 tons |
| Source: The paper industry |
Bottlenecks at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe? Gas crisis could mean production problems for toilet paper
As the paper industry association, the leading industrial association of the German pulp and paper industry based in Berlin, explains in a press release, the future of the toilet paper situation in Germany currently depends primarily on the development of the energy crisis. “In the hygienic paper production process, we are particularly dependent on gas. If there is a loss, we can no longer guarantee the security of supply,” said Martin Krengel, Vice President of the association and CEO of the hygiene paper manufacturer Wepa.
Gas crisis could also bring nasty surprises for customers of Aldi, Lidl and Co
Such bottlenecks are not yet apparent, but the gas crisis in Germany could bring a nasty surprise to consumers as well as to the economy. If there are delivery problems, the consumer advice center will again call for no panic buying from Aldi, Lidl and Co. Instead, you should continue to buy in normal household quantities. This is to ensure continuous subsequent delivery. If you have enough toilet paper in your own four walls, you should never put it on the toilet seat. (df)
