Many products are in short supply due to global delivery problems. And that could still be the case during the holidays. Some Christmas wishes will probably not be fulfilled.
If you want to fulfill very specific Christmas wishes this year, it is best to start shopping quickly. Because the bad news of the past few days is clear: global delivery problems prevent some products from finding their way to Germany. Or important assembly parts for the final production are missing, so that the finished product will unfortunately not be in the shop window. If the container giants make it to Europe, customers will have to reckon with heavy price surcharges for some product groups.
So the Christmas wish for a bicycle can hardly be fulfilled this year. The lockdowns of the Corona crisis already meant that the population was increasingly getting on their bikes. And thus bought the dealers’ stocks empty. “Some dealers are still waiting for up to 40 percent of the bikes that they ordered last year,” said Hans-Peter Obermark from the Association of German Two-Wheeler Trade (VDZ) in the summer of 2021 of the Funke media group. “Unless there are further lockdowns, the industry does not expect the bicycle market to normalize until the end of 2024 and demand continues to rise.”
Toys with delivery problems
But toys could also be scarce this Christmas. “We no longer get the goods that we want, and certainly not in the quantities we want,” reports Nils Hartfelder, managing director of the Hamburg-based toy company of the same name, the “NDR”. Some manufacturers are already preparing customers for the fact that they too will be affected by the delivery difficulties. “It cannot be ruled out that individual products will only be available with difficulty in the next few weeks,” said a Playmobil company spokesman for “t-online.de”. Manufacturers such as Ravensburger or Lego also complain of problems.
Anyone who wants to put technology under the tree has particularly bad cards. Consoles, smartphones, tablets and the like are in short supply because the required chips are not available. Some models have been sold out for months. The big manufacturers like Apple, Samsung and Co. are just as affected as smaller niche manufacturers. If you really want to give away technology, you should look around for alternative devices. And most importantly, I will soon take care of purchasing.
Furniture dealers and hardware stores under pressure
If new furniture is to be given away, problems could also arise. Ikea announced early in the year that some furniture simply couldn’t be sold. The reason: wood is in short supply. The hardware stores feel this too. “Individual products suddenly cost three times as much when purchasing,” said Hornbach boss Erich Harsch about “”. “We also have to pass on some of the costs to our customers.” In addition to wood, there is also a lack of products made of aluminum, copper, glass wool, insulating material or steel in the hardware stores. If you wanted to use the holidays for renovations, you should try to buy the materials early on.
When it comes to perfume, beauty products and cosmetics, the picture is not entirely clear. Some manufacturers are giving the all-clear, they seem to be starting the Christmas business with full stocks. At Douglas, on the other hand, some products seem to be affected by delivery problems. It could be that not every desired product is available in every branch, according to a spokeswoman for the company “.
Books could get more expensive
Books are a popular gift – and they are available too. However, they could be significantly more expensive. The scarcity of raw materials for paper also plays a role here. If you are unsure, it is better to buy early. Because the booksellers are already struggling with delivery problems. Longer delivery times or start dates for new editions and reprints that are pushed back ever further.
This is what experts advise: How to buy Christmas gifts
Experts advise you to start buying Christmas gifts now at the latest. “Consumers should get gifts at an early stage if they are already sure what they want to give,” says Iwona Husemann from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia about “”. “If the product is available now, it should be bought now.” She considers panic buying to be excessive. It would be better if customers would compare prices and offers – both stationary and online.
The retail expert Gerrit Heinemann recommends buying the gifts in stores this year. “What is not now available in stores and warehouses will no longer be delivered until Christmas,” said the expert.
If the desired products are out of stock and definitely won’t arrive in Germany by Christmas, alternatives have to be found. So other designs in memory size or color can help with technology. Other products can be replaced; advice from retailers will help here.
The good news: Not all product groups are affected by delivery problems. The wine and spirits industry reports that they do not expect any problems. They are affected by the increased prices for packaging material. But: “For the Christmas season, however, we assume that end customers will hardly notice the higher raw material prices when they buy wine and spirits, as very few retailers will pass on these costs directly,” says Oliver Hennes from the Federal Association of Wine and Spirits International to “”.
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Source From: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
