Issues from 2021such as raw pulp pricing increases, mill closings, and rising transportation costscontinue to carry over into the new year. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The product is there, but they cant get the packaging.. Resources. As Forbes points out, unanticipated panic buying at the start of the lockdown earlier this year, left manufacturers in a bind. People did not suddenly need to use significantly more toilet paper for their daily lives, and the people who stocked up early had no need to buy more as soon as they had an opportunity. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. And if you could use a little extra cash to help keep your cupboards and cleaning cabinet full, you might consider some low-stakes investing in the high-flying stock market. Almost immediately, companies found themselves out of sync with the uptick in demand. Toilet paper was the biggest missed opportunity, with $836.5 million in sales forfeited due to empty shelves, followed closely by paper towels, at $689.3 million. According to NPR, retail warehouse giant Costco is now placing purchasing limits on toilet paper and other household essentials. But it is another notch on inflation's belt: paying more and getting less. Shoppers fearful of quarantine measures have been stocking up on supplies to last out a week or two of isolation. .chakra .wef-facbof{display:inline;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-facbof{display:block;}}You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. At the Phoenix Group of Companies, our print specialists are committed to transparencyboth in our processes and our relationships with clients and partnersso lets break down the latest updates and discuss whats on the horizon for American companies needing printing papers and paper packaging materials. The paper shortage we are facing . There will be a paper shortage in the year of 2022. Remember the bare store shelves and shopping carts overflowing with bulk packages of toilet paper and bottled water during last year's intial waves of COVID-19?