One-time Amazon rival retailer closed over 1,100 stores (with more to come)

"During the Covid pandemic, there was a dark period where grocery stores ran out of toilet paper. Everyone remembers those days when people were ordering weird brands of toilet paper on Amazon, buying bidets, and otherwise looking for solutions to an uncomfortable problem. We were lucky enough here in Florida that the shortages weren't too bad, but some states had bare shelves, and online orders were taking weeks."

"During that period, office supply stores including Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max generally had toilet paper. I visited one a few days into the shortage, and it not only had those giant rolls used in offices, but it also had large packs of regular rolls. The regular ones sold out fairly quickly, but the supply lasted much longer than it had at Target, Walmart, or Publix. The business toilet paper, while awkward to use, was available for weeks."

The chain has closed over 1,100 stores since 2013 and is likely to close more locations. Bankruptcy is unlikely because the chain has new ownership. During the Covid pandemic, grocery stores ran out of toilet paper while office supply stores often had supplies, including large office-sized rolls and packs of regular rolls. Office supply chains lost relevance as consumers shifted to Amazon and Walmart, remote and hybrid work reduced demand, in-store foot traffic and small-business purchases declined, big-box and online retailers undercut prices, overlapping brands weakened identity, and falling sales led to restructuring.

Read at TheStreet