A Supply Chain Expert Cautions Consumers Not to Panic About Christmas Shopping

Global supply chain issues may be causing some anxiety about how you'll get your Christmas shopping done. After all, with reports threatening shortages of everything from Oreos to Coca-Cola, it's easy to feel panicked about what will be available on the shelves this year.

Senior Vice President at project44 Adam Compain spoke to Thrillist about how concerned we should be about store shelves and shipping orders this holiday season. "No one should panic, but people should understand and ideally be more tolerant of supply chain delays now and even into the next year as well," Compain told Thrillist.

Since the pandemic began, challenges with the supply chain were augmented by a complex combination of factors. As a result, major ports have had backlogs of shipping containers stuck and unable to be transported for weeks, the cost of certain goods has risen, and delays in ground shipping and stocking have become more frequent. And, speaking honestly, Compain doesn't anticipate these challenges resolving themselves before Christmas or even early 2022. Still, consumers shouldn't fear a holiday devoid of gifts and goods.

"The way supply chains operate is that holiday planning began really early in the summer," Compain explained. "A large percentage of the goods that they're planning to have in the holiday season have made their way prior to this really, really challenging time."

If you're ordering something that is shipping internationally, those gifts might not make it before December 25. Anything that isn't already in the US may be harder to get quickly. This year might be the perfect time to pick up your gifts from a local vendor.

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