Supply issues you've experienced

[rajncajn]

It seems like every time I go to the store there's something that they are just completely out of and sometimes shockingly so. It's getting more common to see whole sections of shelves empty. Last time I went to pick up stuff for sloppy joes and fries and Walmart was completely out of sloppy joe seasoning and the only frozen bags of fries they had were the giant-sized bag of Ore Ida steak fries, a couple regular bags of their "fast food" fries and a few of the specialty fries like Red Robin and TGI Friday's. I can almost guarantee that with a list of 10 items or more that I'll either have to buy some off brand I've never heard of before or have to go to another store to find what I'm looking for. I know, first world problems and all, but I'm wondering if this also has become the new norm and concerned that it will get way worse before it gets better. My daughter sold tubs of cookie dough for a fundraiser and the company selling the dough could only send part of the order. The rest is supposed to come next week with exception to the peanut butter cookies because they couldn't get any peanut butter and had no estimate on when they would get any, so they are substituting for chocolate chip.

[rajncajn]

Hmm, not sure why this posted twice.

[loaf]

Hot Wheels

[rajncajn]

51 minutes ago, LordOpie said:

I went shopping with my wife yesterday and mentioned the empty spots on shelves. She says it's been that way for a while.

 

Is there something we can do about this?

I was talking about this with a coworker of mine and since his family is rather large with all young ones, they almost exclusively order for pickup. He was saying that he went to the store last week and was surprised to see so many empty spaces on the shelves.

[rajncajn]

The damage was done when most of the world governments shut down. It was exacerbated with stimulus checks, mass layoffs and extended/supplemental unemployment. Many people who left the work force are taking early retirements or just not going back to work. Employers have been forced to cut back staff in order to manage covid restrictions and manufacturers, warehouses and shipping companies just can't keep up with the demand and backlog.  The solution was to find better ways to manage covid rather than mass shutdowns and after the shutdowns it was to incentivize getting people back to work rather than give them monetary excuses not to. That was a very unpopular opinion a year ago,  but now people are starting to see why shutting the economy down is such a bad thing.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-store-shelves-are-empty-supply-chain-crisis-shortages-2021-10?op=1

 

Edited December 7, 2021 by rajncajn

[Bobby Brown]

59 minutes ago, LordOpie said:

I guess we need too stock up?

*to*

 

But if I were you I'd probably move down to Waco and listen to Brentastic Koresh preach about the Revelations.

 

[rajncajn]

1 hour ago, LordOpie said:

I guess we need too stock up?

Stocking up or hoarding is only going to make things worse. We're just going to have to get used to things not being readily available for a while. I mean, what exactly are you going to stock up on anyway? What turns up unavailable is just so random.

[League_Champion]

9 hours ago, rajncajn said:

mean, what exactly are you going to stock up on anyway? What turns up unavailable is just so random.

 

Toilet paper and paper towels. I learned my lesson. 

[stevegrab]

At least for the most part basic staples are not out of stock like they were last year, when you might not find any toilet paper or other critical items.

 

I've noticed certain breads I was buying out of stock frequently. Some frozen veggies are also rather empty, overheard a customer asking a worker the other day it was broccoli. I know one medley I buy with broccoli is also rarely in stock.

 

Part of it to is just not having enough people at the store to keep shelves stocked. I was shopping around this time last year, and one evening I went for just a few things, could not find a single 16oz container of regular sour cream. Totally cleaned out. 2 days later they had plenty. 

 

And of course the price on various things continues to climb.

[whomper]

I bartend part time and our restaurant makes a lot of specialty drinks . I introduced our place to a Lychee/ passion fruit martini and it really took off. The woman love this thing. Problem is for the last 2 months we couldnt find lychee puree or lychee syrup anywhere. we finally just got in a decent delivery and put it back on the menu 

[darin3]

Target is no better.  They're always out of something or in low supply.  The Target we frequent is especially bad. Fortunately we have a Smart & Final Extra right behind our neighborhood and the wife still goes to Wal-Mart a few times a year too.  I will go to the grocery store from time to time as well.

[stevegrab]

I suppose the more things you buy/need (a couple, or a family vs. a single person) the more things you notice being out of stock. I have rarely had real shortages in my shopping this year. But last year I remember when essentials like TP were bad. Then I could not find powder dishwasher soap, not sure why, but plenty of the liquid stuff. So I made the switch, and after working at home for a while just decided to wash whatever got used each day by hand that night. Now I use more liquid dish soap  

 

As long as they don't run out of beer I'm good (and have some reserves of spirits).

[Jaxfactor904]

I noticed the same with pet foods. I have a cat and a new puppy and sometimes depending on what store you go into the shelves are completely bare, especially the canned food.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Jaxfactor904

[Def.]

3 hours ago, Jaxfactor904 said:

I noticed the same with pet foods. I have a cat and a new puppy and sometimes depending on what store you go into the shelves are completely bare, especially the canned food.

 

We've had to change one of our cats food 3 times over the last 6 months because of this.  Vet wanted us on a limited ingredient for our elder.  So we switched.  New food ran out and could not be found, switched again, ran out/not found again, finally found another food he'll eat and bought like 6 months worth of it.  Been about 3 months, already looking to see if we need to order more.  

 

Cute pup!  

[League_Champion]

223 and 556 are getting harder and harder to get. Palmetto State Armory is pretty well stocked but you'll pay. 

[rajncajn]

Was just talking to a neighbor who does auto repair on the side and he was saying it's taking on average a week longer to get parts. 

[rajncajn]

20 hours ago, LordOpie said:

Most here don't know what you're talking about 

 

OK Kyle. 

Edited December 13, 2021 by rajncajn

[chester]

I don't have a pet, but I go down the cat food aisle and have noticed the lack of wet food.

 

On a completely unrelated matter,I work for an electric company and we have been unable to get solar meters for months. So you can have the new panels on your roof but can't bank what you're producing.

[stevegrab]

20 hours ago, rajncajn said:

Was just talking to a neighbor who does auto repair on the side and he was saying it's taking on average a week longer to get parts. 

 

Sounds about right, my brother had a bit of damage on his car to be repaired, they had to return the car after the bulk of repairs were done, because they were waiting on a part. Now about 3 weeks later it finally arrived and they'll take care of it.

 

Our company provides industrial distribution software all over the US and every time I talk to a customer I'm hearing about delays in receiving product, problems with freight/shipping and of course short staff as people are (or dealing with somebody who is) out with COVID. 

 

I'm sure there will be plenty of delays in shipping this holiday season, I only ordered a few things recently from Amazon and they are scheduled to arrive (free shipping) next Monday, plenty early. 

[League_Champion]

13 hours ago, rajncajn said:

OK Kyle. 

 

Thanks for your input Beto.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by League_Champion

[rajncajn]

Just now, League_Champion said:

 

Thank for your input Beto.

You're yipping up the wrong tree.

[League_Champion]

1 hour ago, rajncajn said:

You're yipping up the wrong tree.

 

It's hard to tell who's who anymore, isn't it? I wouldn't compare Opie to Kyle either. 

[rajncajn]

1 hour ago, League_Champion said:

 

It's hard to tell who's who anymore, isn't it? I wouldn't compare Opie to Kyle either. 

 

Assuming most here don't know what a .223 is? It's not like it's some super-secret code or some special club that only the cool guys are in the know. Even if someone didn't know specifics of rounds it wouldn't be that hard to type "223" into a web search.

 

BTW, have you gotten into making your own? I know a few people who pretty much do that exclusively now & they can pick up brass pretty cheap or even free sometimes from some of the local ranges.

[rajncajn]

10 minutes ago, LordOpie said:

I was teasing those who don't know. If you know, then maybe don't be so sensitive?

Depending on the long gun, 223 and 556 can be interchangeable, so if either you or LC was looking to buy a new one, I'd get one that can take both rounds. I don't shoot enough to warrant the expense of a press, so i don't reload.

I can't afford such a rifle, so I went with a cheaper .243 and find plenty of that in stock. 

Rolling my eyes at your post and calling you Kyle is hardly being sensitive.

[rajncajn]

Not really supply,  but somewhat related. My neighbors just returned today from visiting family in Puerto Rico for the holidays. They were supposed to get back on the 3rd, but their flight got canceled and there wasn't another available flight until today. He ended up missing 4 extra days of work and his kids 3 days of school.