Logjams in the nation's ports have caused retailers to scramble for inventory | File photo
Logjams in the nation's ports have caused retailers to scramble for inventory | File photo
As the busy Christmas shopping season approaches, some Illinois retailers are worried that their inventory won't arrive in time to meet customer demand, CBS 2 in Chicago reported.
Its report featured the state's largest Christmas showroom, Treetime Christmas Creations in Lake Barrington.
“These racks, normally on this date in this season, would be completely filled all the way to the ceiling,” Joe Kane, who owns Treetime with his wife, Laurie, told the station. “Normally we would have everything stocked in-house and actually we haven’t received even a single tree for this season.”
With ports clogged on the West Coast, retailers are struggling to find inventory.
At Outdoor Interiors, which sells patio furniture, shipments finally arrived, but well after the summer season was over, costing the company millions, the story said.
“The reality of life is when it gets stuck here whether it's a week, two weeks, in our case we’re getting containers that have been there for months, and that is not sustainable because we need that product – actually we needed that product,” company President Tim Cimaglio told the station.
Shortages in stafffing, containers, and limits on how much trucks can carry have all contributed to the shortages, Rob Karr, president & CEO, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, told the station.
“There’s only so much you can push through the supply chain pipeline without expanding that,” he said. “It’s stretched thin due to increased demand. It’s been that way for months – and it will take many more months to work its way through.”
His advice to shoppers is to start buying and reserving holiday gifts now, CBS 2 reported.
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