Here’s why grocery stores are struggling to stock their empty shelves
- Omicron’s devastating blow. As the highly contagious variant of the Covid-19 virus continues to sicken workers, it’s creating staffing shortages for critical functions like transportation and logistics, which in turn ...
- Transportation problems. ...
- Weather issues. ...
Why have consumers continued to stock up on groceries?
Consumers have continued to stock up on groceries as they hunker down at home to curb the spread of the Omicron-variant. Denis said demand over the last five months has been as high or higher than it had been in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Similar issues are being seen in other parts of the world.
Are you still seeing out-of-stock items on grocery stores?
Fast forward to nearly 8 months later and you’re probably still noticing the out-of-stock situation on many items at your favorite grocery retailer. Even now, the paper towel and toilet paper sections haven’t fully recovered.
Why aren't grocery stores getting the break they want?
After contending with two years of a pandemic and supply chain-related problems, grocery stores still aren't getting the break they had hoped for. Rather, they are now confronting a host of other setbacks.
Is stocking up at the grocery store just another chore?
To some people, stocking up at the grocery store is just another weekly chore that needs to get checked off the list, often begrudgingly so. For self-identified foodies, it's the best part of their week — perusing new products, dreaming up new recipe ideas, and loading up on their must-have snacks and ingredients.
Why are there still shortages at grocery stores?
Grocery Stores Shortages “It is a combination of factors: supply chain issues and driver shortages, scarcity of packaging, labor shortages at manufacturing and production plants as the workforce has not returned as facilities restarted from COVID closures,” Keith Daniels of Carl Marks Advisors told us.
Why are so many groceries out of stock?
Supply chain disruptions play a big role in product shortages. According to The Associated Press, grocery store scarcity is being exacerbated by Omicron-related labor absences, a deficit in truck drivers, and weather-related delays such as extreme storms and wildfires.
Why are grocery store shelves so empty 2021?
Specifically looking at on-shelf-availability rates during Covid-19 wave spikes, during both the third and fourth waves, these aforementioned states saw on-shelf-availability rates drop to 91%. This means that for grocery retailers in these states, close to 10% of sales were not realized because of out-of-stock items.
Why are the grocery stores out of everything?
Part of the scarcity consumers are seeing on store shelves is due to pandemic trends that never abated – and are exacerbated by omicron. Americans are eating at home more than they used to, especially since offices and some schools remain closed.
Why are stores empty again?
Shoppers across the Bay Area once again are encountering empty shelves in grocery stores amid the latest COVID-19 surge and an ongoing supply chain issue. Economists say it's a situation of people calling in sick with COVID and supply chain delays colliding.
Should I stockpile food?
In some cases, such as during a disease outbreak, you may be asked to stay home to keep safe. That's why having an emergency preparedness stockpile is important. All Americans should have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in their homes, with at least one gallon of water per person per day.
What should I stockpile for food shortages?
You can supplement the above bulk staples with commercially prepared freeze-dried or air-dried foods. A good selection would be canned meats, rice, and beans. Ready-to-eat cereals, rice mixes, pasta mixes, dried fruits, etc. may also be good options to include in your shopping as they add variety to your daily menu.
Why is Walmart running out of everything?
A representative for Walmart wrote, “This is not just an issue isolated to Walmart, it is affecting every chain—it's an industry issue—from impacts due to COVID absenteeism within the supply chain due to quarantine requirements by employers in supply chain, as well as school and day care closures tied to COVID, and ...
Why is there no food on the shelves?
Grocery stores across the United States are seeing empty shelves that once held products ranging from bread to produce to meat, as a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant adds another layer of complication to a system already strained by supply chain issues and worker shortages.
Will there be grocery shortages?
It's inevitable that shortages in these grocery products will also lead to higher prices. Inflation in grocery stores is becoming worrisome, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for March 2022 finding an 8.5% increase in the index for all items, the largest 12-month increase seen since May 1981.
What happened to meat and poultry processing plants?
Earlier on in the year, the Covid-19 outbreaks were happening in meat and poultry processing plants, forcing them to shut down for a period of time. This quickly depleted meat and seafood shelves across the country, while the high demand only made matters worse.
Which restaurants have cut back on their menus?
Have you happened to notice that many restaurants have cut back big time on their menus? McDonald’s and Taco Bell have made the most noticeable changes by cutting out items that they’ve been selling for years.
Why are pain relievers so hard to come by?
That’s because everyone began stocking up on them, especially around allergy season. The rate of out-of-stocks has come down considerably since then, but with the cold and flu season coming around the corner, experts are saying that those numbers will begin to elevate once more.
Omicron's devastating blow
As the highly contagious variant of the Covid-19 virus continues to sicken workers, it's creating staffing shortages for critical functions like transportation and logistics, which in turn are affecting delivery of products and restocking of store shelves across the country.
Transportation problems
An ongoing shortage of truckers continues to slow down the supply chain and the ability of grocery stores to replenish their shelves quickly.
Weather issues
At Trader Joe's stores, shoppers over the weekend saw messages attached to empty shelves blaming weather emergencies for delivery delays.
Pandemic changed our eating habits
More and more of us have taken to cooking and eating at home through the pandemic that's contributing to the grocery supply crunch, too, said Lempert.
It looks like food shortages have continued into 2022. This is what might be causing the issue
After some signs of a slow and cautious return to pre-pandemic normalcy last year, the beginning of 2022 is looking remarkably like fall 2020—and that means supply issues at grocery stores. This time the shortages are scattered throughout the store, but shoppers hoping to get their hands on specific products may find it’s not that easy right now.
What Are Stores Running Short On?
Up first is an item that we’ve seen at the top of shortage lists in the last two years—toilet paper. Marketplace reports that we should expect to see shortages of TP, along with paper towels and other paper goods, as paper mills struggle to keep up with demand and supply chain issues abound.
Why Are These Items in Short Supply?
It’s because of labor shortages and supply-chain issues, from food manufacturers to grocery stores. There simply aren’t enough people to “make the goods, move the goods and sell the goods,” says Jim Dudlicek, a representative for the National Grocers Association.
How to Shop Responsibly Right Now
If you see purchase limits on products at stores, there’s no reason to panic—or panic buy. The retailers are simply being responsible and managing inventory. “If people can buy what they need, and only what they need, we’ll have enough,” says Denis.
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Amrita is an Assistant Digital Editor at Taste of Home. As a writer and amateur photographer, she often ends up applying these skills to her one great love: food. She can usually be found researching global cuisines, at the farmers market, doing yoga, or looking up new places to travel to.
Juice Products
Several individuals report that juice products—including apple juice and lime juice, as well as bottled juices and juice boxes—are hard to find right now. Many of these items are lunchbox staples, so maybe the back-to-school rush has something to do with it. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Bottled Water
Water is another grocery staple that's hard to find these days, and reports of shortages continue to circle on social media. Shoppers in the Taste of Home Facebook thread report trouble finding bottled water at grocery stores, as well as purchase limits.
Bread
Quite a few respondents to Taste of Home 's Facebook inquiry also can't find bread. "Where is it all?" One individual wants to know.
Pasta
Durum wheat is an ideal ingredient to use for pasta and bread. Thanks to extreme weather, supplies of durum wheat are currently low. As a result, experts have predicted new pasta shortages, and some shoppers already appear to be seeing the impact.
Toilet paper
Many shoppers are spreading the word about purchase limits on toilet paper at Costco and other grocery stores. As you likely remember, toilet paper was extremely difficult to find last year amid lockdowns and panic purchases.
Paper Towels
Purchases of paper towels— another hard-to-find commodity during quarantine —are also being limited right now. Despite these one- or two-pack limits, many shoppers in the Facebook thread say they're having trouble finding some.
Lunchables
Kraft announced last year that it was going to halt some products as it ramped up production of its most in-demand items. This meant the kid-famous Lunchables got a boost, but shoppers are currently having trouble finding them on grocery store shelves after demand skyrocketed at the start of the school year.
Grocery Stores Shortages
There are a number of variables at play in the grocery shortages we’re seeing this year.
Current Food Shortages
Daniels says that meat and poultry are in short supply in many supermarkets. This is due to several factors, with manufacturing plant labor shortages causing most of the issues. Beef will likely see the most shortages because work in beef plants is more labor-intensive, according to Food Business News.
Why are shelves empty in 2022?
Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather Director of Forecast Operations, said that the snow and ice storms around the country are a big cause of shortages, though once things thaw out, that may subside—but don’t get too excited just yet.
The Omicron Variant
- The highly contagious new COVID-19 variant that's causing record infections in the U.S. is undoubtedly one of the biggest stressors on the food industry right now. Grocery store workers are catching the virus in higher numbers and calling out sick, making it tougher for markets to keep shelves stocked. The stores themselves are finding it harder to...
Labor Shortages
- In addition to workers becoming infected with COVID-19, there are those who have simply quit. Lempert said the pandemic has turned grocery stores into "battlefields," with employees required to work in person throughout the pandemic, explain food shortages and new public health measures to customers, and try to keep themselves safe and healthy in the process. "As a resul…
Trucking and Shipping
- Truckers are also in short supply, though there's some disputeabout how bad the situation really is. Trucking companies are offering higher wages to attract workers, but employment levels still aren't high enough to meet the demandfor ground transport. In December, the White House announced a planto bolster the trucking industry, including making it easier for drivers to get co…
Severe Weather and Climate Change
- Climate change isn't a new problem, but it's one that's still vexing the food industry. Severe weather events are becoming more frequent and intense across the world as the planet warms. According to Lempert, growers are yielding less corn and soy to feed farm animals, which is having a downstream impact on the price and availability of meat, eggs and dairy products. In Br…