Signs of the Apocalypse: Americans Economize on Toilet Paper; Stock Up on Snuggies and Slankets

(MoneyWatch)  Americans are economizing on toilet paper and stocking up on Snuggies and Slankets, the blankets with sleeves advertised in direct response TV ads. Ad Age reports the two developments separately, but really it's the same story: A look inside the scared mind of the embattled U.S. consumer in a recession. She's so frightened she's even cutting back on the unthinkable (bathroom tissue); and what she really wants is to be wrapped up in a big warm blanket so she doesn't have to turn her heat up.

[Kimberly-Clark's] K-C's downturn in category sales -- a result of people going beyond trading down to cheaper, private-label products and actually buying less toilet paper of any kind -- may come as a surprise. But [CEO Tom] Falk said he doesn't believe people have cut back for good; they're just drawing on supplies in their pantries and buying fewer big packs because of the slumping economy and rising prices in the category.

Over at Allstar Marketing, the muu-muu-like Snuggie is a hit:

With 4 million of the blankets already shipped or on order, or just under $40 million in retail sales, Scott Boilen, president of Allstar Marketing Group, Hawthorne, N.Y., is laughing all the way to the bank. The company behind the Snuggie is moving the blankets out the door as fast as it can get Chinese suppliers to crank them out.

You've seen these ads. A blonde woman struggles to keep warm in her own house! She's wearing a cardigan but it's not enough. At one point, she tries to cover herself with a tiny blanket, but the voiceover warns ...

"Blankets are OK but they can slip and slide,...and when you need to reach for something your hands are trapped inside."

Clearly, the blanket has a design flaw. Curses! AllStar telegraphs another unpleasant reminder of American life:

"Super large, one size fits all."

Yup, it hits the obesity market too.

The Snuggie's main competition is the Slanket, an identical product that was made the focus of this hard-hitting investigative report on Forbes.com, which called it the "best blanket ever." (See video below) Anchor Jennifer Lee actually gets into bed (or at least under the covers) with the company's founder. Check out the company's homepage. It has a man in drag touting the product! Image by Flickr user MereLyme13, CC