Merchants ration toilet paper

A limit has been placed on the number of bathroom tissue that shoppers can now buy, the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has announced.

It said in a statement on Tuesday that the move was intended to curtail any “frenzied” buying of the item.

It comes as the island records two cases of the feared COVID-19 virus, which originated in China in late December.

The BCCI said it met with its major retailers and distributors Tuesday to discuss measures to ensure the management of inventory “during this critical time in the nation’s interest”.

The statement said: “The BCCI, on behalf of the retailers and distributors, wishes to advise members of the public that effective immediately, there will be a limit placed on the quantity of bathroom tissue that may be purchased by a single shopper.

“This will be placed at six rolls per shopper, except where 12-pack tissue rolls are available. In the latter case, only one pack will be permitted per shopper.”

The Chamber of Commerce said its members took a united approach to manage the sale of toilet tissue rolls in the interest of ensuring that most customers’ needs could be met with the available supplies.

The BCCI did not say how long the limit would last, but said: “There are adequate supplies of toilet paper, but the frenzied buying of this item by anxious shoppers could jeopardise the availability into the future and we wish to safeguard against that.”

The limit of six per customer will be in place for “most supermarket chains until further notice”.

“We further wish to reassure the public that basic food items are in adequate supply and remind members of the public that there is no need to panic,” the Chamber added.

Last week, videos were circulating showing members of the public buying up bathroom tissues and various cleaning and sanitizing products and even fighting in the process.