Supply Chain Crisis Threatens Store Shelves This Year
Consider Holiday Shopping Early as Gift Shortages Seem Likely
A supply chain crisis has been ongoing for nearly the entirety of the pandemic. It was particularly acute at the beginning where store shelves were empty and limits were placed on the amount of toilet paper one could purchase. But as the months went on, stores began to look as full as they normally do and people believed that the worst was behind them.
However, these past two months have made it clear that there are still issues with the supply chain. Store shelves are emptier, some products are harder to come by, and prices have increased. While this flare-up in shortages seems to be coming under control, we can expect them to continue and possibly worsen as we approach closer to the holidays.
As lockdowns ease and more people return to work, production was able to keep up with limited demand making it seem that the supply chain had returned to normal. But with most people in North America returning to life as usual, and with the holidays right around the corner, demand has skyrocketed, and while production has increased as well, the ability to get those products to the consumer has lagged.
The companies involved in the supply chain have struggled to fill in their workforces especially in the United States where many people are quitting their jobs and not many looking for them. This combined with lockdowns in other countries that see spikes in cases and worries over the new Omicron variant, it seems like this issue will persist. Meaning that shortages could be exacerbated as demand surges with the holiday season.
