Ho Ho … uh oh! How supply chain woes could affect your holiday shopping

Retailers are getting creative to try to save the holiday shopping season. Consumers will need to do the same.

Global supply chain issues are coming for your gift list.

With no end in sight to the bottlenecks and delays hobbling factories, ports and warehouses around the world, retailers are pulling all the stops ahead of the holiday shopping rush.

Amazon said in a recent blog post it’s been investing in “people, aircraft, ships, and buildings” to work through the current transport snarls, and said its recent profit slump will likely continue into the holiday quarter due to supply chain disruptions. Walmart, Costco and Dollar Tree, among others, say they have been chartering their own vessels to bypass backed-up logistics hubs.

In countless corporate releases, producers and sellers alike have sought to reassure both customers and investors that pandemic-linked supply chain troubles won’t put a damper on the crucial holiday shopping season.

But with logistics experts warning world trade may not return to normal until well into 2022, and several companies announcing price increases to cope with added costs, consumers too may need to resort to some alternative tactics this year.

Here’s what to know about expected shortages, Black Friday deals, and what to do if you can’t find what you’re looking for.

It’s hard to say exactly which items will likely be missing from store shelves, or in which sectors and cities. With so many variables affecting complex supply chains, shortages can vary significantly across brands and retailers. Still, here are some broad categories that have been heavily impacted by logistics troubles.

With more than 85 per cent of toys sold in the U.S. manufactured overseas, the country’s Toy Association has been urging parents to shop early to side-step a potential nationwide toy shortage.