First came the toilet paper shortages.
Now come the price increases.
The maker of the Cottonelle, Scott and Viva brands announced Wednesday that it will hike prices on “a majority of its North America consumer products business,” including toilet paper and baby care items.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation blamed rising commodity costs for the increases.
“The percentage increases are in the mid-to-high single digits,” the company said in a press release. “Nearly all of the increases will be effective in late June.”
The company’s other brands include Kleenex tissues, Kotex hygiene products and Huggies diapers.
The company is facing “significant” inflation on raw materials, lower birth rates and the need to invest in advertising and discounts, CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said in a recent research note.
In the early going of the pandemic, paper goods disappeared quickly, causing customers to scramble to buy any supplies they could find.
While supplies have recovered in recent months, many stores still have limits on paper goods purchases.
