Consumer demand and retail sales are up, way up, after 2020’s many crucibles. While the delta variant of COVID-19 has thrown a shadow over the recovery, customers have been refreshing wardrobes, spending stimulus checks and going shopping.
If only the supply had bounced back as quickly as the demand. Bottlenecks have been building all along the supply chain, from raw materials to container ships, and are generally expected to continue throughout the holiday season.
With container shipping capacity down, and some Chinese ports disrupted by COVID-19 outbreaks, shipping prices have skyrocketed and wait times lengthened. The end effect is it has become a far more costly and uncertain enterprise just to bring goods into the country to sell to customers.
