It seems the supply chain is still a bit off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just look no further than the grocery store and you’ll find interesting outages of product.
Add in labor shortages, and perhaps we have the perfect storm for holiday shopping.
We’ve seen plenty of stores, shipping companies and others saying, “Shop early.” USA Today reports even the White House is warning shoppers about the turbulent shopping season ahead, with press secretary Jen Psaki stating that they “cannot guarantee” that packages will arrive on time for Christmas because of the supply chain disruptions.
USA Today also reported half of Americans have already begun their holiday shopping — and of those, a shocking 70% have run into out-of-stock issues.
This problem isn’t going to solve itself overnight. But we do have a suggestion for holiday shopping this season: Shop local.
We advocate for this often, but it seems like a no-brainer in these ever more complicated times. If you want to ensure there’s something under the tree come December, why not go out and get it on Main Street or downtown?
Shopping local has plenty of benefits beyond the instant gratification of walking out of a store with your purchase in hand.
When you buy local, the money stays local. It supports the community, pays employees and helps raise families and allows business owners to potentially expand their offerings. When we support them, we’re also helping a neighbor pay their bills.
Wonderful and unique shops are all over Kansas. These places offer local flair and color, community pride and uniqueness you can’t find online. They need our support. The pandemic has been hard on everyone but especially small businesses.
