2021 Supply Disruptions

[SSOWorld]

Peanut butter, from what I'm hearing, is getting harder to find. Not just Jif, but other brands as well.

My grocery store has a self-service machine full of shelled peanuts. When you press the button it grinds them into peanut butter, which you then pay for by weight. It's "not as good" as the kind you get in jars, since the peanut oil tends to separate and you have to stir it back in. But it will at least be available as long as shelled peanuts are.

As it is, the store doesn't have any Jif, but it has filled all that shelf space with Skippy and Peter Pan, so it's really not an issue unless you just have to have Jif.

they don't have gif either.

[abefroman329]

Peanut butter, from what I'm hearing, is getting harder to find. Not just Jif, but other brands as well.

My grocery store has a self-service machine full of shelled peanuts. When you press the button it grinds them into peanut butter, which you then pay for by weight. It's "not as good" as the kind you get in jars, since the peanut oil tends to separate and you have to stir it back in. But it will at least be available as long as shelled peanuts are.

As it is, the store doesn't have any Jif, but it has filled all that shelf space with Skippy and Peter Pan, so it's really not an issue unless you just have to have Jif.

they don't have gif either.

BOOOOOO

[Big John]

[hbelkins]

Milk Duds.

I have not been able to find any locally for six weeks.

[Dirt Roads]

Milk Duds.

I have not been able to find any locally for six weeks.

Hershey just announced that current production issues will negatively impact their Halloween sales.  On the other hand, I haven't seen Milk Duds around here for more than 10 years, so this could just be a brand shrinkage.  Many companies are reducing the number of labels in their portfolio.  I'm not sure, but it seems as though the primary issue is the supply of the custom printed foil wrappers.

[skluth]

I enjoy Lindt Dark Chocolate Chili, their dark chocolate bar with bits of red chilis mixed into the chocolate. I'll eat a couple squares a few times per week which sates most of my chocolate addiction. The chilis add a nice bite to the chocolate and it's really difficult to at more than a couple squares at any time so I don't binge. I couldn't find any for months this spring but didn't write until now because I didn't want to make the shortage last any longer. I was down to my last bar before I saw them in stock again just after July 4. I've seen them a few places now so it looks like the supply issue has been fixed.

Unfortunately, mail order chocolate isn't the greatest idea in Palm Springs where it can hit 90°F in any month and 100°F from March to November. Checking the local markets is the only realistic option.

[triplemultiplex]

Milk Duds.

I have not been able to find any locally for six weeks.

Time to call up the reserves of Sugar Daddies to fill the stick-to-your-teeth candy niche!

[Rothman]

Milk Duds.

I have not been able to find any locally for six weeks.

20220801_165810

[Scott5114]

Storeowner Pete: "Uh! Yes, I was aware we are slap out of Milk Duds! It's...It's the damn covid, it's messing everything up! Yeah, the covid! The inflation! Kids these days don't want to work anymore! Biden! Trump! Putin! Zelensky! Alan Merritt! It wasn't me being too lazy to check the stock and order more, swear to god!"

[Takumi]

Storeowner Pete: "Uh! Yes, I was aware we are slap out of Milk Duds! It's...It's the damn covid, it's messing everything up! Yeah, the covid! The inflation! Kids these days don't want to work anymore! Biden! Trump! Putin! Zelensky! Alan Merritt! It wasn't me being too lazy to check the stock and order more, swear to god!"

Might be the case for a mom & pop, but most chain stores have automated ordering systems. At both companies where I've been a manager, manual adjustments are barely allowed if at all, like 10 SKUs a week if even that.

(That said, stock is definitely able to be manually checked and adjusted if need be, so the automated system can do its thing after the count adjustment. Also we have so many Milk Duds that some probably should go HB's way.)

[Scott5114]

Storeowner Pete: "Uh! Yes, I was aware we are slap out of Milk Duds! It's...It's the damn covid, it's messing everything up! Yeah, the covid! The inflation! Kids these days don't want to work anymore! Biden! Trump! Putin! Zelensky! Alan Merritt! It wasn't me being too lazy to check the stock and order more, swear to god!"

Might be the case for a mom & pop, but most chain stores have automated ordering systems. At both companies where I've been a manager, manual adjustments are barely allowed if at all, like 10 SKUs a week if even that.

(That said, stock is definitely able to be manually checked and adjusted if need be, so the automated system can do its thing after the count adjustment. Also we have so many Milk Duds that some probably should go HB's way.)

That's even worse, because most automated systems have no way of knowing things like "it is going to be hot for the next two weeks, so we should probably order a few extra box fans" or "there is a recall of Brand X product, so we should order more Brand Y product for the time being until the recall is resolved". And relying 100% on computer-generated output for anything without allowing manual adjustments is just begging to make yourself look stupid.

[Takumi]

Storeowner Pete: "Uh! Yes, I was aware we are slap out of Milk Duds! It's...It's the damn covid, it's messing everything up! Yeah, the covid! The inflation! Kids these days don't want to work anymore! Biden! Trump! Putin! Zelensky! Alan Merritt! It wasn't me being too lazy to check the stock and order more, swear to god!"

Might be the case for a mom & pop, but most chain stores have automated ordering systems. At both companies where I've been a manager, manual adjustments are barely allowed if at all, like 10 SKUs a week if even that.

(That said, stock is definitely able to be manually checked and adjusted if need be, so the automated system can do its thing after the count adjustment. Also we have so many Milk Duds that some probably should go HB's way.)

That's even worse, because most automated systems have no way of knowing things like "it is going to be hot for the next two weeks, so we should probably order a few extra box fans" or "there is a recall of Brand X product, so we should order more Brand Y product for the time being until the recall is resolved". And relying 100% on computer-generated output for anything without allowing manual adjustments is just begging to make yourself look stupid.

Believe me, I agree with you.

[roadman65]

Seems like everything these days.

Of course whenever the supply is short and the demand is high the prices match the degree of demand.  These days the shortages are greater on common things that we could used to get at anytime anywhere, so we are paying more for the things we never paid a lot for before.

[Scott5114]

1 in 3 odds: that a business is hiking prices in 2022 because of legitimate supply chain issues.
1 in 3 odds: that a business is hiking prices in 2022 because of fuel costs.
1 in 3 odds: that a business is hiking prices in 2022 because other industries have supply chain issues causing them to hike their prices, and the CEO has his eye on a sixth yacht.
1 in 99 odds: that a given business that hiked their prices in 2022 for any reason will end up lowering them once the cause of the price hike goes away. 

[jeffandnicole]

1 in 99 odds: that a given business that hiked their prices in 2022 for any reason will end up lowering them once the cause of the price hike goes away. 

Gasoline.

Venmo me my winnings.

[CtrlAltDel]

1 in 99 odds: that a given business that hiked their prices in 2022 for any reason will end up lowering them once the cause of the price hike goes away. 

Gasoline.

Venmo me my winnings.

That's just the 1. 

[Scott5114]

1 in 99 odds: that a given business that hiked their prices in 2022 for any reason will end up lowering them once the cause of the price hike goes away. 

Gasoline.

Venmo me my winnings.

[formulanone]

1 in 99 odds: that a given business that hiked their prices in 2022 for any reason will end up lowering them once the cause of the price hike goes away. 

Gasoline.

Venmo me my winnings.

Please Post Responsibly - Know someone with a posting problem?

[vdeane]

From the sounds of it on the news, if we end up having a train labor strike, we'll be dealing with grocery and product shortages that make March 2020 look like nothing.  Many shipments have already stopped.  I wonder if that explains the scarcity of microwavable corn and bagel bites I've noticed as of the past few days.

[Rothman]

From the sounds of it on the news, if we end up having a train labor strike, we'll be dealing with grocery and product shortages that make March 2020 look like nothing.  Many shipments have already stopped.  I wonder if that explains the scarcity of microwavable corn and bagel bites I've noticed as of the past few days.

There were no large eggs at the Cicero NY Walmart on Tuesday.  None.

[ZLoth]

2020+2. Just as everyone's driving plans were challenged due to record high gas prices which are finally coming down to somewhat sane levels.

Yet, in a few years, someone will refer to this time period as "the good old days". 

[Rothman]

2020+2. Just as everyone's driving plans were challenged due to record high gas prices which are finally coming down to somewhat sane levels.

Yet, in a few years, someone will refer to this time period as "the good old days". 

In central NY, gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon and don't appear to be dropping.

[hotdogPi]

2020+2. Just as everyone's driving plans were challenged due to record high gas prices which are finally coming down to somewhat sane levels.

Yet, in a few years, someone will refer to this time period as "the good old days". 

In central NY, gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon and don't appear to be dropping.

They're dropping here.

[Rothman]

2020+2. Just as everyone's driving plans were challenged due to record high gas prices which are finally coming down to somewhat sane levels.

Yet, in a few years, someone will refer to this time period as "the good old days". 

In central NY, gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon and don't appear to be dropping.

They're dropping here.

Where?

[hotdogPi]

2020+2. Just as everyone's driving plans were challenged due to record high gas prices which are finally coming down to somewhat sane levels.

Yet, in a few years, someone will refer to this time period as "the good old days". 

In central NY, gas prices are hovering around $4 a gallon and don't appear to be dropping.

They're dropping here.

Where?

Northeastern Massachusetts, where I live.