Supply Chain Shortages? What Supply Chain Shortages?
Does Anyone feel like Chiming in with what they see?
The Trucker Convoy in Canada might have set off a worldwide maelstrom. Even if not I don't see how empty shelves aren't at the end of this.
PS: I support the truckers wholeheartedly. But with China blocking supply chains and truckers parked in Canada, what are you seeing in terms of shelve space in your neck of the woods? What about inflation?
I'll go first. Greetings from Phuket, Thailand. I definitely see more empty shelves, most commonly in corporate owned stores (7 Eleven, Tesco Lotus) rather than in little shops. The big places like the Tesco nearest us creatively took out three or four aisles in the middle of the store room (this area mostly was dedicated to baby things, formula and infant clothes. It's ominous if you think about it). Instead they made it into an indoor Phuket Walking Market. Instead of shelves of things, you now had centerpieces of artisan soaps and displays with white mannequins wearing whatever they were trying to sell you. I'd guess 20% to 30% of actual store shelf space has been lost. Today I was in there looking for some dresses for my daughter's birthday. The selection for an almost 9 year old was all over the place and very sparse.
Cooking oil prices have risen most sharply. I used to be able to buy a large bottle of palm oil for 39 baht. Now 15 months later it's 55 baht. Most things have gone up and processed food sizes have gone down. The exception to this is eating from the neighborhood harvest. If you want coconuts, bananas, mangos, or jackfruit the price is actually down if fresh.
I've seen a lot of creative Thai ways to block off aisles. One turned their last line into a walled off security area. The 7 Eleven which used to be resplendent with booze behind the counter now instead has a few fluffy promotional stuffed animals behind the shelves. They like to use big fluffy promotional things in general to hide a shelf shortage, if they are forced to show it at all. There are none of those gaudy fake cardboard out of stock signs with filled shelves like I've heard about in other countries.
But I am curious what you all see in the ground…