You are probably wondering why holiday shopping 2021 is going to be a bit more difficult than in previous years. The short answer is because shipping is a nightmare. According to the experts due to the supply chain issues your holiday shopping needed to already start. The first time I heard this I was not surprised because working in the garment industry I am living it every day I come into work.
The supply chain issues started way before October it really started back around June. Since no one was shopping for the holidays then no one really noticed. Toilet paper and cleaning products were easier to get so everyone thought everything was getting back to normal. What you didn’t know was that behind the scenes it was a totally different story. Tight now it’s about supply and demand and the supply chain issues couldn’t of hit at a worse time.
According to an article on vice.com, you can expect to see 172% more out-of-stock messages this holiday shopping season. As a mom to a 7-year-old who still believes in Santa has me a little nervous. I told my son at the beginning of October Santa called and is asking for a list early so he can get a head start on the season. Yup, that’s right because mommy and daddy needed to get a head start so we are not paying out the nose for those soon-to-be hard-to-get toys.
Why are supply chains having issues?
The best way for me to explain why the supply chains are having issues is to start with what I have been experiencing at work. Getting a 40-foot container these days isn’t as easy as one would think. Let’s start with the cost of a container. The cost for a container has gone up over 50% this year because of the high demand. Containers are like anything else in this world it is all about supply and demand.
The Suez Canal accident really put a wrench in the system. Picture a traffic jam during rush hour, but instead of cars with a bunch of vessels all backed up not able to get through a vital canal to deliver goods to the port. This happened back in March and we are still feeling the effects of it today. Everyone who is not in an industry where you are shipping out goods would have no idea what an impact this had on supply chains.
Another issue is there are not enough mother vessels and when you don’t have enough of those it delays getting goods to the ports. The way it works is a feeder vessel goes and meets up with the mother vessel and then the mother vessel delivers the goods to the ports. Right now the reason we don’t have enough mother vessels is that they are all stuck at ports waiting to be unloaded.
The lack of workers and the sheer amount of vessels coming in is causing major delays. Which causes supply and demand issues. This isn’t just happening in the United States it is happening everywhere. So the panic about holiday shopping in 2021 is bound to get interesting. This year it won’t be about getting the best deal it is going to be about getting what you want in the first place.
Holiday Shopping 2021: How to get what you want?
The best advice I can give you is to start shopping like right now. It is already November and stores like Walmart and Amazon have already started their Black Friday Sales. Don’t expect to get stuff for dirt cheap because the reality is by the time that happens or even if it happens you won’t be able to find it. You are going to find many toys that are sold out, but no worries sure those eBay and amazon sellers will sell them to you for double. In some cases, we might start to see what is happening with demand for the PlayStation 5 console.
I do have some advice for you if you are looking to potentially get your hands on a PlayStation 5. The app that helped me get my hands on one is HotStock it is an app that sends you alerts when a store gets the PlayStation 5 in stock. It gives you a better chance of getting one but just like anything else in life, it’s a crapshoot. At least it will save you a ton of leg work.
I know the holidays are not about the presents however that doesn’t stop us from getting them so do yourself a favor if you want to get something specific or hot Items this season don’t wait. Because Holiday Shopping in 2021 is going to be all about supply and demand.
Want to know more about me check out My Journey.
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