Supply shortage: Consumers should look at first holiday purchases, experts say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Across the country, we’re seeing a shortage of supplies, from cars to toys and now to tennis shoes. The pandemic continues to disrupt the supply chain, so much so that experts say now is the time to do your holiday shopping.

After getting a taste of fall last week, Christmas might be far from your mind. But experts say maybe that shouldn’t be the case, especially when it comes to Christmas shopping.

“Consumers really need to consider shopping early. When I mean early, I mean now. Don’t wait until November. Now is the time to shop while there is still selection. “said Margaret Kidd, professor of supply chain and logistics at the University of Houston.

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Kidd said it all comes down to the supply chain and a significant backlog, the impact of which every industry sees.

“We continue to see manufacturing temporarily shut down across the world, in small pockets here and there, but keep in mind that it takes time to revive this production, and then we have seen several major ports shut down this year. summer, ”Kidd says.

Kidd said a concern came from Vietnam, which is a huge manufacturer.

“I anticipate delays over the holidays for Nike and Adidas, and I think it could be exacerbated if the current lockdown in Vietnam is extended beyond this month,” Kidd said.

On top of that, people are still buying stuff and a lot, according to David Gantz, a fellow of the Baker Institute at Rice University.

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“The US economy, in part because of the inflow of funding, has recovered much faster than expected. So people are still buying a lot of things,” Gantz said.

Gantz and Kidd said it could take until next year before things really start to improve.

“I think [when] we are easily entering 2022 and maybe even the first quarter of 2023. The key will be to increase immunization rates around the world, ”Kidd said.

So even though Christmas is less than 100 days away, the holiday shopping season has already started.

“Buy it. Hide it. Pack it in December,” Kidd said.

For more updates on the pandemic disrupting the supply chain, follow Marla Carter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.