NEW YORK (NewsNation now) – It’s still summer, but already shipping backups around the world threatens to steal Christmas. Some retailers are worried about holiday inventory.
“I’m having a nervous breakdown because of this,” said Ilene Gayer, owner of HomBom Toys in New York. “I don’t get any merchandise. I do not receive anything.
“It’s a mess. It’s a total, total mess.
The problem is a global shipping backlog caused by the pandemic. 2020 has been bad and 2021 will probably be even worse.
Manufacturers like Hasbro are doing what they can to circumvent the bottleneck of Christmas toys and board games and get creative with their sourcing.
But, even when cargo arrives at ports like Los Angeles, there are often not enough stevedores to unload the cargo.
Suppliers say the plastics they need are used to make syringes.
If you want to put something under the tree this holiday, experts recommend planning — and saving for price hikes — now.
“Companies are telling us now that when you get our new shipments, the prices will be astronomical,” Gayer said. “We don’t even know the percentage yet. It could be 10, 20, 30% higher.
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