Another tumultuous holiday season is approaching with retailers rushing to prepare their inventories, and supply chains trying to deal with their own issues from sourcing and production to last-mile delivery. Buckle up because it’s going to continue to be a busy season ahead!
Manufacturers are in a bad spot right now as they are dealing with delays or shortages and with that comes having to decide whether to stock up to deal with the delays or face shortages because of longer shipping times. On top of that, this is causing frustration for consumers as well. One issue is products may not be on shelves in time for the holidays, even with some companies planning ahead, issues have still arisen. Not just that but because of the lack of products, the prices have increased. So, what are the options for consumers? You either hold out for the details, and risk the gifts being late. Or purchase products at a more expensive rate without the risk of the products being late. Either way, it’s not an ideal situation.
When the pandemic began, things got out of hand fast. Now, the amount of time it takes to ship an item from Asia to the United States, has nearly doubled – 15 days by air, 90 by sea according to Freightwaves. Getting shipments out to consumers’ homes continues to be a struggle, as delivery carriers like UPS and FedEx are scrambling to hire thousands of truck drivers and package handlers.
However, the U.S. Postal Service announced they plan on hiring more than 40,000 seasonal workers this year, including city and rural mail carriers, mail handlers, and drivers. The Postal Service hopes this helps during this busy holiday season.
Going Forward
- Book early
- Have established relationships with transportation services you can trust
- Ensure you are validating the rates you are receiving and that they are not a victim of a price creep
Experts are anticipating supply chain issues to continue to impact the holiday season through 2023. While that may or may not be the case, we are here to support and assist in any way we can. Reach out to our team today with any questions or additional information!
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