Global supply chain impacting metro Atlanta businesses
ATLANTA - The supply chain disruption continues to be a problem for shoppers and business owners this holiday season.
Right now, many people have been waiting weeks, even months for items to be shipped.
The delay has impacted everything from groceries to household supplies to Christmas decorations.
"Overall, there's a lot of shortages for artificial and real Christmas trees," Matt Bowen
Matt Bowman, who owns Tradition Trees, told me disruptions to the supply chain coupled with the labor shortage and the 2008 recession has weighed heavily on the Christmas tree industry.
"There's a lot of trees stuck in ports or off the coast that just haven't been received in America yet," Bowman explained.
Experts estimate that retail inventory is down about 25 percent.
Bowen said for his stock, items coming from china like these Christmas lights and other holiday ornaments are also stuck.
"We're gonna get everything we want, we just haven't gotten it as early as we want because it's taking longer to produce," Bowman told us.
TARGET, WALMART, SAY HOLIDAY INVENTORY IS UP DESPITE SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION
It is a longer process for so many metro Atlanta companies.
The Woodstock Furniture Outlet owner previously told Fox 5 News that deliveries for customers have shifted from just 12 days to now 37 weeks.
The pandemic, labor shortages, and increased demand for goods have strained the supply chain.
"Labor needs to be getting to normal," University of North Georgia Professor LU Xu told us. "Right now, we have labor shortage for moving products from this place to consumers."
Xu's said this situation impacts almost every aspect of our daily life – from groceries to electronics to household supplies and often causes prices to go up.
Even though there's increased urgency for a solution, especially during this holiday season, Xu said this problem will continue longer than anticipated without a clear end date in sight.
Governor Brian Kemp addressed the problem on Monday suggesting several solutions like lowering the eligibility age for a commercial driver's license and eliminating or suspending the taxes that create financial disincentives.
Until the disruption is over, both XU and Bowman said the best thing you can do right now is buy early.
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