Costco warns customers over delays on essential household item

Costco Wholesale is having trouble fulfilling toilet paper orders.

The membership-only warehouse retail chain is issuing a warning to customers that have purchased the common household item online, saying they may face delays in receiving their orders.  

"Due to increased volumes, you may see a slight delay in the processing of this order," Costco's customer service team said in a purchase order confirmation email viewed by FOX Business. 

RELATED: Costco brings back item limits in some stores amid COVID-19 surge

The retailer noted that the company is "working to fulfill everything as quickly as possible" and that customers will get a follow-up email with tracking information once an order has shipped.

The warning notice comes after the company indicated that it would reinstate purchase limits at some of its store locations as customers reportedly stockpile goods once again – mimicking the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Costco customers push shopping carts through the parking lot of a Costco store on March 13, 2020, in Richmond, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The retailer already addressed the situation in an alert on its website, noting that "some warehouses may have temporary item limits on select items." 

The company stopped short of specifying which products were affected. However, reports of product shortages from toilet paper, paper towels to water from certain locations had surfaced on social media platforms in recent weeks.  

Even earlier this month, the biggest U.S. manufacturer of toilet paper and paper towels – Procter & Gamble Co. – announced it was forced to ramp up production due to try and offset increased demand, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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