Grocery stores could face supply shortages ahead of the holidays



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Grocery stores may have limited quantities of a number of products before the holidays after some of the nation’s largest food manufacturers say they are running out of supplies, CNN reports.

Driving the news: Many companies have told grocers they will be short of supplies due to labor, commodity and transportation constraints that restrict supply chains, according to CNN.

  • Products that may be experiencing a shortage include Rice Krispies treats, Sour Patch Kids, some flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, McCormick gourmet spices, and Marie Callender’s pot pies.

The big picture: Supply in grocery stores has improved since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but has not fully recovered.

  • Many vendors have also asked grocers to cancel their promotions on certain items during the holidays so they don’t sell out quickly from the store, according to CNN.
  • Other food brands impose purchase ceilings for certain products due to a lack of supply.

By the numbers: Almost 15% of frozen foods were out of stock in stores during the week ending October 3.

  • That same week, 18% of drinks, 16% of snacks and 15% of candy were out of stock in stores, according to IRI.
  • Before COVID-19, 7-10% of products were out of stock on the shelves.

What they say : Chieh Huang, CEO of online bulk retailer Boxed, told CNN that “allowances are the new normal” for manufacturers of food and packaged goods and affect the number of products in stock at Boxed.

  • Huang added that “the industry is better off than we were at this time last year.”

The bottom line: Other products, such as coffee and shoes, will also be in demand this holiday season due to supply chain issues.

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