When will toilet paper return to store shelves amid coronavirus fears?

Supermarket shelves were cleared last week of toilet paper and other essential items due to coronavirus fears, but a reprieve could be near.

Companies who produce toilet paper say production has increased. National chains believe stock on shelves will soon resume to normal.

The makers of Chamin, Procter & Gamble, told The Washington Post they continue to manufacture and ship the popular toilet paper brand.

“This situation is highly dynamic and changing daily,” Procter & Gamble told Fox 11. “We have see an increase in sales and have been working diligently to continue serving customer.”

Georgia-Pacific, which makes Angel Soft and Quilted Northern, wrote on social media that it will “continue to produce and ship our product as fast as we can possibly make it.”

The company will increase production as its facilities, according to Forbes.

Households are flocking to buy the essential items, but as offices, theme parks, hotels, restaurants and resorts close, the products will have a lower demand, a spokesman for Georgia-Pacific told AL.com.

H-E-B, a popular supermarket chain based in Texas, urged its shoppers to not panic, as it continues to stock shelves.

Target said in a statement to NBC News its team is “working around the clock to make sure that the products you want are available when you need them.

The increased purchasing “is largely unnecessary,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of the retail consultancy Global Data.

“Most retailers are able to replenish products fairly quickly,” he told USA Today. “Also, products like toilet paper are not being used more than usual so people who have already stocked up will not keep buying them.”

Most chain and independent stores will be able to refill the shelves from “from their wholesaler immediately,” retail grocery consultant Joe Walsh told NBC News.

Toilet paper will begin reappearing back on shelves in “a matter of weeks, not a matter of months,” Larry Sonntag, the spokesman of the New Mexico Business Coalition told the Albuquerque Journal Friday.

Some stores, including Publix, Kroger and Walmart, have shortened their hours to ensure their employees have time to stock their products.

This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 11:01 AM with the headline "When will toilet paper return to store shelves amid coronavirus fears?."