
TOKYO -- Retail sales across the world have suffered as the coronavirus pandemic shut malls and shoppers tightened their belts in the face of job losses, but sales for one particular item have surged during this time: toothpaste.
Lion, a big Japanese toiletries manufacturer, said a recent market survey showed that the number of consumers who bought toothpaste "for personal use" exceeded those who purchased it "for family use" for the first time in 2020.