Supply chain issues affect grocery stores, availability of parts
By Jennifer Crompton
NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. — Stores already facing supply chain or inventory issues may face extra pressure in the next day or two because of an impending storm expected to bring several inches of snow to New Hampshire.
Anyone looking for a snowblower in advance of the storm may be in luck, partly because the lack of big storms this year hasn’t pushed up demand. But the days of automatically finding whatever you need may be over.
Seacoast Power Equipment is ready for the storm, according to owner Ric Hayes. It has a good supply of snow blowers, thanks to planning ahead.
“Right now, we’ve been forced to extend how we look at the demand cycle for this equipment, and we’re ordering a lot more product and we’re ordering it earlier than we normally would,” Hayes said.
The business services all its outdoor equipment, too. There’s usually a two-week turnaround, but now, there’s a caveat.
“Normal parts that you could get in a day or two are taking weeks or going on backorder,” Hayes said. “It’s hard to predict. So that’s been a real challenge for the business on the service side.”
The randomness of supply chain issues is on display at the grocery store. The New England Council hosted a panel representing industries all along that chain, from high tech to transport to stores, and the challenges they face.
“It’s packaging, it’s transport, it’s labor and the connectivity of all of those, and you only need a breakdown in one area and you start to then struggle, and then you have things like this weekend,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop. “We’re going to have a big storm up in the north here, and that just puts enormous pressure on what’s already available.”
Experts said the supply chain issues will likely last a year or two. The owner of Seacoast Power Equipment said planning ahead is critical. Buying or servicing equipment for the summer season is something homeowners should start thinking about now.