Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TOY CHOP FEARS
Retail chain’s boss warns supplies will run low after sales
SWATHES of toys could be out of stock after the Black Friday spending spree, parents have been warned.
Gary Grant, boss of toy chain The Entertainer, said shipments from China were taking around two weeks on average longer to arrive.
He said the shops were well stocked at the moment but that could all change after a flurry of buying for this month’s Black Friday’s discount event.
Although Black Friday is officially on November 26, some retailers have already started offering discounts.
Mr Grant told the Mirror: “I don’t see shortages right now, but in the last two to four weeks [before Christmas] I think you will see swathes of things going out of stock.
“We are not saying ‘panic’ but you will see more items out of stock before Christmas than you would normally.”
He added that shortages were likely to result in smaller ranges of certain products rather than empty shelves.
One item he said The Entertainer’s website had already sold out of was Moonshoes after they proved a big hit.
But he added his firm had bought in extra stock of big-selling items, expecting manufacturers to raise prices next year. It comes as there are signs the widespread feared shortages have eased. A number of retailers have said congestion at ports is now improving.
James Sawley, head of retail and leisure at HSBC UK, said his “gut feeling” was that retailers were getting around 90% of the stock they were expecting, up from about 60% in July.
He also predicted that with the easing of supply pressures and plenty of demand from shoppers, there could be fewer bargains than usual over Black Friday and the run-up to Christmas.
He added: “It’ll be a promotional event but the big discounts won’t be there.”