Holiday shipping slows as a result of pandemic

Holiday+shipping+slows+as+a+result+of+pandemic

A month from the peak holiday shopping season, consumers are encountering rising prices and shipping delays that seem to stretch into oblivion. Big retailers aren’t sure what in-store supply will look like for certain items, but the main concern is adapting to online shopping.

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on global supply chains since it began nearly two years ago, with suppliers and retailers going through a forest of challenges such as business restrictions and navigating shutdowns. With the steady rise of raw material prices, the shortage of truck drivers and warehouse workers adds on to this problem. Companies such as FedEx are greatly affected as a result.

“Many are turning their head toward online shopping because of the cases of COVID-19 and how quick shipping is. What people don’t realize is that we’re having staff shortages. Packages are starting to get rerouted because they aren’t processed efficiently and can’t reach service standards,” said FedEx manager Richard Perry.

Amazon took a different route with their approach. The company ramped up promotions in October to push customers to shop early for the holidays. Pulling demand forward has helped Amazon prevent a crush of orders later in the holiday season. The company has hired over one hundred-fifty thousand holiday workers to meet the demand.

“The way online shopping at Amazon has been, it’s been a rollercoaster so far, and we want people to do holiday shopping early. We’ve been well- prepared to avoid any challenges and make sure customers get what they want, whenever they want,” said Amazon employee Khrispin Casapao.

According to an employee from TJ Maxx, it is on the right path in terms of online and in-store shopping. Their stores will be frequently updated with new and on-trend items. Customers will be able to find a strong selection of gifts and home decor during the holiday season from its ever-changing mix of merchandise.

“To be honest, most of the inventory we need for the holiday season has already been delivered to us or has been scheduled to arrive in stores and online in time for the holidays. I thought there would be more challenges to face, but that hasn’t been the case so far,” said TJ Maxx employee Ethan Castillo.