More Frenzies Over Toilet Paper At CT Stores Amid Closures

VERNON, CT — The morning after many Connecticut schools and municipal agencies announced a two-week closure period amid concerns over the Coronavirus was met with yet another rush to grab toilet paper, paper towels and other non-perishable staples.

Yes ... stores throughout the state were essentially mob scenes on Friday morning.

Take the Aldi supermarket in Vernon, for example. At roughly 8:45 Friday, about 15 people were lined up at the door, already having paid their 25-cent deposit to get carts. At 9 a.m., when the doors opened, another 50 or so folks burst from their vehicles and joined the fray.

The open doors were met with a mad rush to the paper goods aisle and it became a roller derby-like scene to grab the two-ply. The one-ply toilet paper didn't last much longer and the whole aisle, replenished overnight, was wiped out in 11 minutes.

(Chris Dehnel/Patch)

The jostling for position carried over into the dairy section, where eggs and milk were accosted by eager shoppers. Not one carton was dropped, however, in the first 30 minutes of mayhem.

Once the paper goods were cleaned out, customers became remarkably polite as they made their way to the checkout counters. Still, it was all a blur to one of the clerks.

"It's like I'm in a dream ... or I'm being punked," the clerk said. She added Aldi set a record for business on Thursday and, 40 minutes into the Friday shift, the store was pacing at 25 percent better than that.

The scene was similar at the Costco in Brookfield, where one beat-up roll sat by itself on a pallet after the carnage.

(Kelly Manning)

After the toilet paper supplies were depleted, shoppers at some stores apparently turned to paper towels to fill the void.

At the Enfield Stop & Shop, a sign on the toilet paper shelves reading, "Due to tight supply, limit 5," was rendered useless, as there was not a roll to be found at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

The spoils for a number of customers leaving the store with full carts included multiple rolls of paper towels. Several of them, asked about it by Patch, responded they intended to use the paper towels in lieu of toilet paper.

(Tim Jensen)

Aldi and Stop & Shop were a picnic compared to the Costco in Enfield. The opening resembled the old demolition derbies at Riverside Park Speedway.

Here's a video from shopper Katie Roberts:

In that light, a Tolland resident, shopping at Target in Manchester, called the store "a madhouse."

Stores, both big box and small, have promised to not only limit purchases, but to spend extra attention to cleaning. Inventory orders for the most popular items will be top priority, officials at most chains said.

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Patch editors Tim Jensen and Rich Kirby contributed to this report.