Some stores are out of toilet paper, sanitizers, other cleaning products

There was line for hand soaps at Bath & Body Works before opening

KAHULUI -- In fear of the widespread COVID-19 virus and what quarantine can bring, Maui residents have been making a run for weeks on toilet paper, soaps, and sanitizing and cleaning products.

This has left some shelves periodically empty at Costco in Kahului. There was toilet paper at the store last week, but none in the middle of this week.

"As you can imagine, Costco has received several requests from the media for more information about how Costco is handling the surge of interest in purchasing emergency supplies in response to COVID-19, as well as our measures to provide a safe shopping environment," Costco's corporate communications office said Thursday in an email. "As always, our focus is to have merchandise available for our members at low warehouse prices."

Toilet paper was low but not out of stock yet at Longs Drugs in Maui Mall earlier this week. But other items, such as hand sanitizers, sterilizing alcohols, Lysol and wipes are currently sold out.

"Water, we still have some, and a little bit of paper towels and tissues," a Longs manager, who requested anonymity, said Tuesday. "I tell my staff, once you put it out on the floor, it'll get sold out. That's the reality now."

The buying frenzy started when government officials told people to pack emergency supplies, similar to preparation for weather or others disasters, in case home quarantine is necessary. To people in Hawaii, that means buying toilet paper, water and rice. And now with this emergency, sanitizing and cleaning products.

At Bath & Body Works in the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center on Thursday morning, customers said they were in line more than three hours prior to the store opening at 10 a.m. to buy hard-to-find hand sanitizers. The line was reminiscent of Black Friday sale lines after Thanksgiving and was at least 50 people deep a little after opening time Thursday.

Shopper Loke Manini from Kahului said she arrived around 8 a.m. and 16 people were already in line. She came to the mall because she could not find hand sanitizers anywhere else. She visited more than five stores, which were all out.

Manini was buying the sanitizers for her mother, who is a senior citizen.

Customers who visited Bath & Body Works earlier this week said they were told by store workers that another shipment of hand sanitizers would hit the shelves Thursday. Customers said they were limited to 10 hand sanitizers each.

Wailuku resident Marlyn Andaya began waiting in line at 7:30 a.m. She bought hand sanitizers and hand soap because she will be going to the Philippines on Saturday for a funeral.

"I'm scared, though," she said of traveling overseas.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com. Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.