BELIEVE THE HYPE! SHOP NOW TO BEAT HOLIDAY SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGES

EXPERTS AGREE THAT EVERYTHING FROM TOYS TO TURKEYS WILL BE IN DEMAND

It seems that everyday there is a new story in the mass media about holiday shortages and what it will mean for consumers this year. Whether the medium is online, print, television, or radio - the story remains the same. Get your holiday gifts early this year or be left empty-handed.

Fear-based stories surrounding the terror of not being able to find that one special gift have been around forever. We are not so easily swayed anymore by induced panic and it's easy to dismiss the rhetoric. We say to ourselves "Don't believe the hype" or "The media always exaggerates." And true enough, many times it does appear that the media gets it wrong. Remember that blizzard that was supposed to hit hard but then it didn't? We had enough canned goods to last us for the rest of the year, and then some!

But this year, it's time to believe the hype. We want to share this news with you because we have had our own experiences with supply chain issues. VOOMcart has a responsibility to let our community know that the talk is real.

Writing for The New York Times this month, Ellen Rosen says that the issues at hand regarding the worldwide supply chain aren't going anywhere fast. In fact, she says, if you want something for yourself, like a sofa to replace the one your family wore out binge-watching Netflix during Covid, you should act now and not necessarily expect stock to be replenished for post Holiday sales. Rosen quotes U.C.L.A.'s Anderson School of Management Professor Christopher Tang as saying that "Consumers have a role to play by shopping early but not panicking and buying unneeded items." Perhaps this is a polite way of saying "No more pandemic hoarding". But the truth remains that we all know people that will continue to maintain a ten year supply of toilet paper and paper towels.

And, it's not just finding gifts that we need to be concerned about. We also need to be thinking about the dinner table in advance. The holiday shortages aren't just affecting the bounty of gifts under the tree. According to the Wall Street Journal, Thanksgiving dinner staples such as turkeys, yams, and pies are already hard to get because of supply chain issues. Reporting on November 9th, Stephanie Stamm says, "Supplies of food and household items are 4 to 11% lower than normal as of October 31, according to data from market research firm IRI. And, she adds, "That figure isn't far from the bare shelves of March 2020 when supplies were down 13%".

Writing for Bloomberg news on October 4, 2021, Jennifer Bartashus, an analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence whose coverage includes mass merchants, says "Supply chain affects everybody. Meeting customer expectations in an environment where everything is up in the air is nearly impossible. Customers might see news about port backups, but that won't hit home until they try to buy the toy of the year and can't get it. That's when they'll hit crisis mode."

So what's the message for us? And for our VOOMer community? Shop Now! Especially if you have a child or someone that wants something super specific. And of course, if you plan on serving something special for your holiday dinner, it's a good idea to get that now and put it in the freezer to avoid serving Domino's - although in all honesty we can think of a few people we know that probably wouldn't mind pizza and wings served up instead of turkey on white linen tablecloths.

And how is VOOMcart facing the market supply chain shortages? Do we have enough stock on hand for the holiday season? Yes we do! Our warehouse is fully stocked with inventory that includes our new ultra chic black bins.

So Happy Shopping with your ultimate personal shopping cart, VOOMcart! Please share your holiday shopping pictures at #VOOMcart #WalkYourShop and tag us @VOOMcart

Photo Credit: Barrett Ward for Upsplash