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- The crisis in the supply chain turned one man’s fast journey into a “odyssey of several hours”.
- Historic delays at ports and throughout the transportation industry have created significant shortages.
- Executives warn that the delays show no sign of stopping and will continue until 2023.
A global supply chain crisis has emptied the shelves, creating a cascading effect of shortages and price spikes that have become increasingly difficult to relate to a single item.
During a daily run, The Atlantic editor-in-chief Derek Thompson said he discovered that grunts in the global supply chain had created a “shortage of everything.” Thompson said what should have been a quick run for a take-out COVID-19 test, paper towels and prescription drugs has turned into something of a multi-store scavenger hunt.
The buyer went to a CVS, whose home COVID-19 tests and paper towels were depleted. Then he went to a Walgreens that ran out of daily prescription drugs, as well as a Target, whose ransacked shelves were “alarmingly sterile, like the canning aisle of a grocery store an hour away. before a hurricane hits land “.
Thompson’s fate – read his full story here – represents a common scenario in American retail stores. At the onset of the pandemic, panic buying of household items like
toilet paper
and disinfectant wipes have caused shocking shortages across the country, spiking prices as well as rationing. While shortages appeared to ease at the end of 2020, 2021 has brought its own shortages. From shortages of chicken wings, diapers and toilet paper to homes, furniture, computer chips and cars, it seems no market has escaped the impact of the global chain crisis. supply.
Moreover, the crisis shows no signs of abating anytime soon. Last month, two of America’s largest ports hit multiple all-time records, as more than 60 towering freighters floated off the coast of Southern California – and it’s not the only port American to break records.
It’s not a problem plaguing the supply chain, in what Thompson calls a “bottleneck hydra.” Backlogs at ports have also created delays in warehouses, railways and throughout the trucking industry.
The time – and the amount of money – it takes to ship an item from Asia to its final destination in the United States has more than doubled in the past year and experts are ringing the bell. ‘alarm. In September, several executives warned customers they should prepare for shortages and continued price hikes through 2023.
The holiday season is driving demand as the entire supply chain struggles to tackle COVID-19 closures, equipment shortages and low labor levels. From Nike companies to clothing brands and toy makers have told customers their products will be harder to find this holiday season as supply chain experts say the holiday shopping season will be different this holiday season. year.
Read Thompson’s full story here.
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