Manage supply issues during holiday shopping

Here’s what you need to know.

When COVID first hit, people had no choice but to stay home. In turn, this has made it much more comfortable with the idea of ​​shopping online.

“Particularly with this Black Friday and the holiday season, there have been some supply chain issues that started over the summer but have spilled over into what we are seeing now,” Steven Carnovale said. , an expert in supply chain management who teaches at Saunders College of Business, Rochester Institute of Technology.

What we’re seeing now is that ripple effect, Carnavale mentioned. As COVID forced businesses to close their doors, “consumer cycles” began to occur. People bought products to meet their needs at home.

“The first thing we saw that was a little unexpected was the beard trimmers and hair clippers because the barber shops were closed and people had to do it themselves, and then we moved on to spring and summer, so chlorine tablets and pool supplies, ”added Carnavale. .

The key word here is “capacity”. Carnavale says there are simply not enough people or resources to meet the demand. When you order something, it arrives at your doorstep through multiple channels. So the trains, the freighters, then the workers to unload and store it, then the truckers who transport it. All of these channels are currently facing staff shortages.

“Supply chains have been, despite the chaos, exceptionally resilient and I think if we continue with the model we’ve been following and set expectations, things will improve, but it will be this new normal that all of us have. world is talking, ”said Carnavale.

For all the last minute shoppers, which is not a bad thing, shopping in person will be better than playing with a delivery. But retailers have been preparing for a while, so what you need could very well be on the shelf.