Since the impact of Covid-19 all the manufacturers, retailers, and consumers have been plagued by chip shortages that started last year. These shortages are now being compounded by shortages of products ranging from plastics to the shipping containers used to move goods around the world. Yes, that’s right, one problem has now resulted in the plethora of hurdles all existing to increase the prices of consumer products. Thus, consumers who rely on online shopping to ensure availability may soon be losing their advantage.
Since the retail stores are always running out of products most consumers have come to rely on the web to ensure that the desired products are available and delivered on time for the holidays and other special occasions. But, it’s being presumed that this year’s online shopping experience may not be as convenient and advantages as well as will not provide enough savings to the customers.
The world’s semiconductor shortage has grown severe since 2020 and this has impacted the ability of manufacturers to manufacture and purchase goods ranging from computer hardware to automobiles.
However, the year 2021 has taken a step further in humanity’s torment and introduced several additional factors to further strain the already struggling global supply chain. Now, the problem doesn’t just end at semiconductor shortage, but, the world now has to face pandemic variants along with a shortage of skilled workers, plastics, containers to ship manufactured goods, and even the ports needed to bring these goods to market.
What’s more surprising to the world is the recent shortages and worker availability which has caused several industries to delay their product release. It has also been reported that steel shipping containers have now become a commodity themselves. And it’s not that the world is facing a shortage of their quantity, but it’s their availability that is creating the issue.
Given the number of factors impacting product availability and delivery, consumers are urged to plan, order early, and be prepared with domestically produced alternatives to their desired but unavailable goods.
It seems that 2021 wants to outdo 2020 in almost every way, hopefully, the impact of the pandemic subsides.
