17 Everyday Products Now Facing Shortages

[diehardblue]

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic made its unwelcome presence felt, products have been disappearing from store shelves. Many goods we take for granted have been tough to find for long periods.

Thankfully, many of these products are now available again in abundance. But others that once seemed plentiful are suddenly scarce.

Following are some products in short supply right now.

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/slideshows/products-now-in-short-supply-due-to-the-pandemic/

[NameAlreadyTaken]

1. You can add fireworks to that list

There are shortages across the country and containers are arriving very late from China.

[marybourg]

4. Well, that's a plus!

[MissB]

18. I have a bin

Mostly sparkler type.

[Vinca]

49. Good. I hate them. They're so obnoxious the town passed an ordinance to control them.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

52. They are fun and beautiful and a form of entertainment

[ChubbyStar]

55. fireworks are an obnoxious hazard

YMMV.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

62. Absolutely not true

[Raine]

58. Not fun, beautiful or entertaining for animals that are terrorized by them! 👎nt

[Archae]

56. So did our city government in Sheboygan.

Even sparklers are banned.

People shoot them off for weeks before and after the Fourth anyway.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

64. THERE's a silver lining.

The colorful professional displays can be nice. Plus they're done at a predictable time so you have a chance to dope up your pets. But spare me the numbskulls running around the neighborhood making things go "BOOM."

[FakeNoose]

2. Yes I've notice shortage of dog food, and prices are definitely higher now

[MissB]

17. Not sure where you get yours

I get ours from Petco, and it’s already a pricey bag.

But... right now they have a 30% off of you order online and do curbside pickup. It’s crazy.

[FakeNoose]

31. Yes retailers are still running their loss leader sales

I normally buy Pedigree, from either the local supermarkets or from Amazon. The Amazon merchants suddenly cut way back on their offerings last fall and winter. Things I ordered regularly were suddenly not available, and then they came back several dollars higher.

But I still see things on sale so the shortage is temporary. It's not like the Great Toilet Paper Hoarding of last year.

[Archae]

57. You can order pet stuff from Chewy.com, and they'll deliver.

[BobTheSubgenius]

39. We make ours from high quality, "human" groceries, and that isn't getting any cheaper.

I'll tell you that for free - and there aren't many things free of charge these days. It's worth it, though. He's a small dog (18 pounds, so it's not like feeding a horse) and the effect on his health and vitality are obvious.

[canetoad]

45. Same here

Reckon I'm on the third gen of pups since the melamine scandal. Been cooking for them since then.

[BobTheSubgenius]

47. Good on you!

I'm a big believer in making our guy's food. The difference we've seen has been remarkable...to the point that other dog-walkers I see infrequently asked what we've done to get him looking so good, and with energy. He's 13 and people are often very surprised by his actual age...the most common comment being that he seems to be about 4 or 5.

It's pricey, but he is pretty much priceless to us.

[Deminpenn]

54. It's the canned food for both dogs and cats

There seems to be plenty of dry food. I suppose that's linked to the low supply of aluminum cans.

[FakeNoose]

59. Yes but I discovered an odd thing with Pedigree

Pedigree is a high-quality brand of dog food, and until recently it was economical getting the "wet" food in pouches. The pouches are conveniently one meal-size serving for my mid-size dog. So I loved the pouches because I could open a fresh one for each meal. Since about December the price has doubled on those pouches. Ouch! For a while I couldn't get them at all, and then they were available at a way higher price.

That was when I switched to canned food. I don't know if this is Covid-related but I suspect that it is. Remember last year how the midwestern meat-packing companies were getting shut down because the employees were all getting the Covid? Those meat plants and slaughterhouses are supplying the dogfood companies too. Higher quality meats bring in more profit, leftovers go to the dogs.

[Deminpenn]

60. Tried the cat food single serving trays,

but it was too much non-recyclable plastic. Switched to the small cans of wet food. Half a can is one serving.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. I can attest to having trouble getting chicken wings!

Most of the other stuff, not really an issue (except housing).

[ecstatic]

61. +1. nt

[druidity33]

5. I work in a grocery store kitchen...

we were just informed today that we won't be able to get boneless chicken thighs and breasts for at least 2 weeks... and the price TRIPLED. People are going to be bothered when we run out in a couple of days.

[MissB]

16. Dang!

That’s crazy.

I have a couple of months of chicken breasts in my freezer at the rate we are using them.

[global1]

6. I Heard That Some Of The Shortages Are Controlled Because Companies See Opportunity To Dip....

into your back pocket to get their hands on some of that stimulus money.

[SergeStorms]

13. I wouldn't doubt that at all.

Capitalism is a wonderful thing.

[live love laugh]

42. +1

[Amishman]

48. That claim is made just about every time there is a shortage

yet no evidence ever surfaces.

It's supply and demand, basic economics.

[PufPuf23]

7. Haven't been able to find flat sided toothpicks

for the last year. Live rural and 90 mile drive to stop light and chain stores and accustomed to shop in bulk, mostly Safeway, Costco, and one of several Ace Hardware, rarely will stop by Winco or the regional market Rays. So Safeway is the source of flat toothpicks, typically Safeway does have round toothpicks but the flat are out of stock. Habitually shop in the Eureka Harrison Ave Safeway or th Arcata or McKinleyville Safeway depending on my other errands and whether need to go to Eureka. lmao the inconveniences we are forced to live.

[msongs]

8. lots of it is just plain greed and gouging nt

[llmart]

23. +1000

[CousinIT]

9. Someone else here recently posted about this: lumber

"...exploding lumber prices have pushed the price of an average new single-family home a mind-boggling $35,872 higher.

Rising lumber costs also make home renovation projects costlier.

[RussBLib]

10. better to go with recycled plastic

costs are almost equal now with regular lumber

but I also see that some retailers, like Polywood, are now making customers wanting recycled plastic items wait 10-15 weeks for delivery.

If this nation hadn't been so cannabis-averse, we could have had huge forests of hempwood by now. Cheaper, lighter, faster-growing and stronger than regular wood. But no, someone might be trying to grow regular weed and hide it amongst the industrial hemp. Can't have anyone enjoying themselves, or getting medicine. No, take alcohol for that.

[Luciferous]

51. We ordered exterior doors for our house a

month ago, estimated time to get them and install them is middle of July. We ordered a couch in January and that took about 3 months. I'm not surprised anymore about any long delivery times.

[mopinko]

11. tile too.

nearly died of shock out shopping recently.
it's ugly as sin these days, too. even the showroom designers are shaking their heads.

[TheRealNorth]

21. One of the reasons I saw for this...

In addition to increases from renovation projects last year was major forest fires in British Columbia that burned up a lot of the type of wood (some kind of pine) that is used for building.

[kimbutgar]

12. In the last two weeks I have seen trucks with a lot of cut down trees in SF

Coming from the south and going north. I wonder where these trees were cut down? In the past I rarely ever saw big trucks with trees like that.

[NullTuples]

26. 100% guessing but maybe cleanup from last year's SC fire(s)?

Could be taking them up north to the few remaining mills.

[Archae]

14. I bought my electric bicycle a couple months ago...

Was delivered on time and mostly assembled.

Works wonderfully.

[CousinIT]

25. I've been curious about those. Which model did you get? Any caveats or recommendations? n/t

[gldstwmn]

30. I got mine from Journey Bikes

because they had bikes in stock.

[Archae]

38. It's a "Cliensy."

Bought it through eBay, $550.

Runs beautifully.

I took this photo of it.

Link to tweet

[CousinIT]

40. Thanks! I could see getting to a local grocery on that if need be. Or riding it around the 'hood.

Hmmm....

[gldstwmn]

29. Me too. I found one in stock

and bought it right away. I noticed others were a 6 to 8 week delivery frame.

[MissB]

15. Good thing I'm getting my EV this week!

No more gasoline.

[irisblue]

19. B/C of the Texas deep freeze, shortages of greens

source-https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/26/texas-storm-produce-shortage/


title-Texas freeze killed winter produce, with some food prices expected to spike
Damage to fruits and vegetables from last week’s Texas storms could cause shortfalls at food banks and lead to grocery stores sourcing from further away

much more at article

[mnhtnbb]

20. The builder in my new development is holding a lottery today for the last 4 lots

Last edited Mon May 10, 2021, 06:12 PM - Edit history (1)

in this phase of the development. They stopped publishing the starting prices for each floor plan about a month ago.

The house being built directly behind me had been waiting for the lumber to frame it for at least a couple of weeks. I can see two houses out the window from my desk that have been ready for siding for at least a month. There are other houses in the development that have 3 exterior walls with siding, and the last wall has been waiting for the siding for weeks.

The last published starting price for my floor plan was $22K more than my contract price at the end of April 2020, but my house is about 800 sq ft smaller than the "average" size new house.

[TheRealNorth]

22. Yeah, this put a damper on my housing plans...

Rent prices are getting out of control in my area, and pre-existing houses are pretty wild as well, so I was thinking I would just buy a plot and get a builder. However, the wood prices have F'd that plan up.

[NullTuples]

27. Always amazing to see framed or partially framed homes sitting for weeks or month, even in the rain.

That happened some years back near us. The units were all finally completed & sold, the builder closed up shop & then the mildew problems started showing up.

[llmart]

24. So much of it is companies taking advantage.

They are trying to make up for having a year of very little business so heck, this is the ole' USA so we can make a killing right now. So much for "we're all in this together".

I was going to do a complete renovation of a smallish master bath and have been researching fixtures online for about 6-9 months. I would find a fixture with good reviews from lots of people, bookmark the site and/or put it in my "cart" for when I had all of the fixtures and could order. I went onto a site where I was going to purchase a Kohler toilet and I had written down originally that it was $285. They want at least $500 for it now.

Don't get me started on how hard it is to find someone to do the demo.

[CaptainTruth]

35. Don't get a Kohler that has the fill valve float enclosed in the plastic casing.

I'm not sure if they've changed the design, I haven't seen what kind of fill valve assembly they're shipping today. I just know that over the past couple years I've had to replace a bunch of Kohler fill valves for customers, it's a bad design that works for 10-12 months & then starts leaking into the tank. At first I just replaced the washer, but they would leak again in 10-12 months. Now when I see one I take out the Kolhler valve & throw it away, & replace it with the trusty old Fluidmaster 400A.

I think Kohler has discontinued it, but here's what it looked like. You do NOT want this in your toilet tank:

[link:|]

[llmart]

36. Thank you for that info.

I will check out the model I was planning on getting.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. We Had One Of Those

Even worse, the assembly wouldn't come off the tank. I'm pretty sure it was epoxied.
I had to buy an all new tank.
That valve assembly was junk.

[Vinca]

50. I didn't know about this. We have a Kohler toilet still in the box waiting to be put in.

Guess we'd better check out the valve.

[gldstwmn]

28. I have noticed that some of the frozen vegetables

I used to buy I can no longer find in the freezer section.

[Maine Abu El Banat]

32. I was told there were no munchkins i

In the whole Northeast this AM at Dunkin!

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

33. No napkins

Thought I’d drop in at a Marble Slab Creamery for some ice cream. Got the ice cream alright but the cashier was embarrassed they didn’t have any napkins. She said her store had run out a week ago. This is in Las Vegas.

[smirkymonkey]

34. I have been having a hard time getting my Claussen's pickles, especially the

sandwich slices. Most of the other stuff doesn't affect me, but I am pretty bummed out about the pickle shortage. Other pickles just don't do it for me.

[CaptainTruth]

37. Ford's Q2 production will be down 50% because of the semiconductor factory fire.

Ford dives 10% after warning 2nd-quarter production will be halved by a chip shortage.

[link:https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-stock-chip-semiconductor-shortage-global-japan-fire-1q-earnings-2021-4|]

[Catherine Vincent]

43. I've been stocking up on water, beans, rice, pasta, canned etc. goods, lysol, face masks

Including some freeze dried foods.

[Kaleva]

46. Except for Lysol and face masks, I had done that long before anyone heard of COVID19

I keep on hand about a 45 days supply of food and water and have a number of recipes in their own section in my recipe binder that use ingredients that don't require refrigeration and can be made without electricity. As I have LP gas, I can light the top burners on my stove with a log lighter.

[Catherine Vincent]

53. I am working on the recipes

[Captain Zero]

44. I didn't see Chicken Salad on that list and it's in short supply.

Before the pandemic, I could go in my two favorite groceries and buy their chicken salad any day, any time.
Now it can be 2,3,4 days in a row they are just totally out of it.

[NickB79]

63. Ammunition. Extremely hard to find, and more expensive

This is America after all, so it's an everyday product.