Industry Talk

Regular Industry Development Updates, Opinions and Talking Points relating to Manufacturing, the Supply Chain and Logistics.

Will consumers compete for scarce products this year?

Consumers are going to be competing with each other for scarce products this year. That means the more that retailers can invest now to make sure that consumers can find what they’re looking for, whether online or before they make the trip to the store, the more chance a retailer has in capturing that demand.

Between the potential for inflation, out of stocks, and greater uncertainty about Covid, consumers should definitely consider buying earlier this year. It’s also going to be more challenging this holiday season to find the “hottest” toys just because there haven’t been a lot of summer blockbuster movies to drive character merchandise. If consumers are willing to think creatively, sites like Etsy can step up to fill in the inventory gaps – Covid drove a surge in ‘creators’ at the same time that it disrupted the traditional supply chain.