Start holiday shopping now

Usually this time of year, when the big box stores put up holiday displays and retailers start counting the shopping days until Christmas, many shoppers snort or complain. For holiday shopping season 2021, you might want to pay attention.

Retail experts are sounding the alarm that shoppers need to start their holiday shopping now. Logistical issues, including ongoing manufacturing and supply chain disruptions, may make the hottest toys and most popular gifts sell out fast or go on waiting lists. And they might not be available at all in the typical Thanksgiving-to-Christmas Day holiday shopping window this year.

“It’s a complex situation,” says Trae Bodge, smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com, “but essentially, the pandemic created a domino effect of delays and shortages all around the world, with bottlenecks at ports and staffing issues at factories.”

What’s the holdup? A shortage of workers to unload the containers, along with trucks and drivers to haul them away are among the problems.

“The American consumer’s buying strength is so strong and epic that we can’t absorb all this cargo into the domestic supply chain,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told KCLA-TV in LA.

And it’s costing suppliers and retailers dearly, with those costs being passed on to shoppers in terms of higher prices. Or in the case of Costco, putting limits again on the number of certain items shoppers can buy (toilet paper, paper towels and bottled water), just like in the early days of the pandemic.

“Keep in mind, brands may import parts from various manufacturers in order to build their final product. And if one is delayed or backed up, it sends a wave of disruptions in production and in the supply chain,” says retail savings expert Andrea Woroch. “That’s what we are seeing here. We will also see huge delays in the shipping of large items, including big-screen TVs as well as furniture, appliances and cars.”

With lower supply also comes higher prices, Woroch says, and some toy experts have estimated that toy prices will jump by 5% to 10%.

That’s why shopping earlier than usual this holiday season may be the smarter play.

Woroch says that if your intended recipient is dead set on something specific, do not hesitate to indulge. Hot toys, including LOL dolls, Barbie Dreamhouse, “Star Wars” toys, LEGO sets and Nintendo Switch will sell out fast, and retailers will have a hard time keeping them on the shelf. The same goes with specific apparel or shoes, including UGG boots or electronics like a tablet or e-reader.

Bodge agrees on shopping early, but not for everything. “I would focus on items where you have no flexibility, like a specific hot toy, a particular model of a gadget, or even a pair of shoes that are trending on TikTok.”

Bob Niedt is online editor for Kiplinger.com.

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