Supply Chain Problems Have Small Retailers Gambling on Hoarding

Some independent stores ordered in bulk well in advance, and now are hoping they’re able to sell what they have.

Megan Searfoss has been hoarding sneakers in Connecticut.

Ms. Searfoss, the owner of two running stores in Darien and Ridgefield, Conn., would normally have about 3,000 pairs of shoes in stock ahead of the holiday season. But as she watched supply chain concerns in Vietnam mount this summer and into the fall, she secured a new storage facility and is now carrying around 4,100 pairs.

It’s a costly gamble for Ms. Searfoss, who said she is extended about $165,000 more than she would typically be in November because of worries about potential shortages.