People Are Buying More Fancy Toilet Paper Than Ever

1 minute read

You may not be able to poop gold, but at least you can wipe with luxe toilet paper.

Luxury toilet paper sales reached $1.4 billion last year, outselling regular toilet paper for the first time in 10 years, reports the Washington Post, citing data from market research company Euromonitor International. Luxury toilet paper sales have grown more than 70% since 2000, and are expected to grow another 9% over the next five years.

Analysts say that while luxury toilet paper (the cushy, quilted, scented varieties) is more expensive than regular toilet paper, it doesn’t break the bank for most consumers—which means it’s a small luxury many Americans feel they can afford.

That’s why some experts say luxury toilet paper sales may even be a sign of economic strength. The last times the luxury brands outsold generic toilet paper were in 2005 and 2000, both boom years for consumer spending.

[Washington Post]

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Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com