KITCHENER -- ‘Tis the season to start holiday shopping if you want a chance to check off everything on your wish list.
Cheryl Flood, the owner of Hobby and Toy Central in Kitchener, has approximately 300 pages of backorders.
She is waiting on delivery for about 40 per cent of her inventory.
“I am struggling to have enough in every area to meet the requirement need at a reasonable price,” Flood said.
Toys were usually delivered in days pre-pandemic, but are now caught in a global supply chain gridlock that could keep them off the shelves this holiday.
Some items, including the Ravensburger Disney puzzles, have been out of stock since last year.
“I didn’t get them last Christmas and I’m still waiting for them patiently,” Flood said.
She added suppliers aren’t even willing to provide an E.T.A. which puts her most important sales period in jeopardy.
Peter Carr, a supply chain expert and management sciences professor at the University of Waterloo, said it’s a perfect storm of pandemic-related issues from high demand to limited supply to increased shipping costs.
“Anything that has to be supplied from another part of the world is particularly at risk,” said Carr, “We have COVID, so there’s less people to work, factories are closed, governments are imposing lockdowns so the products just aren’t there.”
Carr expects these problems to persist until the spring. He’s suggesting holiday shoppers to hit the stores early this year.
“If you’re unsuccessful at one shop, try others because some of them may have supply,” he advises.
Flood recommends parents to ask their kids for a three-item wish list to avoid any disappointment Christmas morning.
“Be ahead of the game, be prepared. I would be much happier if you bought it today and if it’s a duplicate item, please return it,” said Flood.
