Originally Posted by
biminiblue 
Supply chain problems.
The large super-grocery store where I shop has stopped stocking certain things I used to buy all the time. Other local stores in the same chain have these things, but I don't like to go all over town when they could just stock them at the store where I shop.
Unfortunately the employees are so shell-shocked with all the supply chain issues that when I mentioned it the other day, that was their answer. I can feel their frustration so I didn't push it. I'll just keep going to the other local store by the same name.
They may as well blame your Rhinoceros.
(I'm probably gonna hear from Stargazer and Mizz!) Haha! You knew it Bim, lol!
So, here are a few reasons why stores are not able to stock the particular products you may be looking for. This is strictly an informational post, and please, everyone, do not take this in an accusatory manner!! I am just passing on information that might be beneficial for all to know.
We are suffering from massive import delays. For example, products from Asia used to ship to California ports such as Long Beach and LA in 18-20 days. The ships still make the trip in that time, but the ports are shorthanded, so the ships are sitting anchored a mile off the California coast for two to three weeks at a time before being unloaded. There is also a shortage of truck drivers, so oftentimes product sits at the port for extended periods instead of being shipped to grocery distribution centers nationwide in the usual two to four day window depending on location. Products that used to make it from Thailand to Philadelphia, for example, used to make the journey in roughly twenty two to twenty five days. Now, these products are often taking six weeks or longer to make the same cross country trek.
There are also material shortages. Our main spaghetti sauce vendor in Italy, for example, is experiencing a glass shortage. Hence, none of our most popular pasta sauces are on the shelves for days or weeks at a time.
A lot of food producers are suffering from a lack of employees. Some vendors have had to cut an entire shift out of their production schedules because they can't staff them. If they are only running two production shifts instead of three, product shortages get magnified.
Lastly, the grocery stores themselves are incredibly shorthanded. My particular store is running between 15-20 percent under ideal staffing levels currently. Oftentimes, the product the customer is looking for is likely sitting on a pallet in the store's backroom, but the store is so short staffed that no one can get the product on the shelf because everyone working is running a register. My company is hiring at competitive levels, offers a $1.20 a year in potential raises if you just show up, and offers full medical benefits for averaging 28 hours a week of work. The company picks up 80% of insurance costs. Not a bad gig for a part time job. And we still can't hire people. It seems no one wants to work a job that involves nights and weekends anymore, which, of course, is the heart of retail shopping.
And yes, I often get multiple angry customers a day asking why their favorite product is not on the shelf. Sometimes, I literally ask the angriest of customers if they realize there is still a world wide pandemic going on. Then I offer them a job application...
I am jumping off my soap box now. Your turn Mizz, lol!
On the bus, coffee firmly in hand.
Happy riding all!