What's your supply chain issue? How's this one for a start?

[KristaZ]

I'm due in about a month with my first baby. Various people bought us different pieces of the nursery furniture set we picked out soon after they found out, but the person who planned to get us the dresser waited longer than others. It's now been out of stock since August at least. It's a specific and unique colored set, so there's no matching with a piece from a different set and because people had already bought us the other pieces, there's no looking for a different set. It's driving me crazy.

 

[dvcgirl67]

The shortage of employees at restaurants is what we have really noticed. We tried to order sushi for pickup last night. First place we called answered the phone and said "we're too busy to take your order". Second place said they weren't taking orders because they were already going to have to be there past closing time to fill the orders they had. And Chick-Fil-A estimates that 30% of their potential customers drive up, then leave because the line is too long. https://www.zdnet.com/article/chick...big-customer-problem-and-no-obvious-solution/

This is what I'm noticing the most. At one of our specialty stores that also has a really good prepared foods sections.....lots of the prepared foods we normally go for....are missing. I asked one of the employees and he said...'kitchen can't keep up....they need help in there". Also, longer wait times in check-out lines. So, just the classic "help wanted" deal.

 

[sheilafri]

I ordered a new car with an estimated wait time of 28+ weeks.

 

[longboard55]

In So Cal we build these massive warehouses for the stuff from the ships. If you want to build a new one, you can not buy a roof for at least a year, apparently Amazon has locked up all orders to build their warehouses

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

And Chick-Fil-A estimates that 30% of their potential customers drive up, then leave because the line is too long. https://www.zdnet.com/article/chick...big-customer-problem-and-no-obvious-solution/

But if you actually read the article and understand the context they are talking about Chick-fil-A over time not as a direct result of the pandemic. Our locations seems to be undergoing renovations. Both locations near me now have dual lanes. Part of the problem can be just installing locations in places where traffic flow is easily cut off (such that a newer one was built in my area that has little room for overflow lines). But Chick-fil-A is not yet wanting to adapt on the AI aspect that others are doing. And if you consider how many people complain that they are just talking to a robot or a screen to order (which if anyone has been paying attention that's been something years in development) you know you won't be able to please everyone.

So really the Chick-fil-A story has nothing to do with this thread or shortages. Just a snazzy way of catching people's attention.

 

[Marrila]

I ordered a new car with an estimated wait time of 28+ weeks.

What did you decide on? What color?
I hope your wait turn out to be shorter.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'll have to pay a bit more attention since we're getting closer and closer to the holidays.

I do know some items we've ordered from Walmart grocery have had substitutions in interesting ways. Most recently we ordered a 2-pack of 8 count crescent rolls. Apparently they didn't have the 2 pack, and I guess maybe not even just individual roles of 8 count. They ended up giving us four 4 count ones. The tiny package is ridiculously cute TBH.

 

[Snowysmom]

Vinegar. I went to buy a small bottle of white vinegar today and there were only a few large bottles on the shelf. I have seen sparse shelves in some areas of the store that I am not interested in but I have mostly been able to get what I want.

On the new car front, I am so glad DH and I bought a new car last November. My gut told me to buy it then and I am glad I listened. Now that DH has passed, I feel so much better knowing I have a more reliable car than a 18 year old Sienna. It is one less thing to worry about. 28 weeks for a new car is mind boggling!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

28 weeks for a new car is mind boggling!

Not necessarily. It has always depended on just what you wanted out of the car. Higher customization tends to take longer. What people are seeing now is just normal orders taking the time period for which what used to be more common for more customized cars.

Several years ago when the in-laws bought their F350 it was over 8 months.

 

[Snowysmom]

Lucky for us the car we wanted was on the lot. I forgot that alot of people do customize.

 

[tvguy]

But if you actually read the article and understand the context they are talking about Chick-fil-A over time not as a direct result of the pandemic. Our locations seems to be undergoing renovations. Both locations near me now have dual lanes. Part of the problem can be just installing locations in places where traffic flow is easily cut off (such that a newer one was built in my area that has little room for overflow lines). But Chick-fil-A is not yet wanting to adapt on the AI aspect that others are doing. And if you consider how many people complain that they are just talking to a robot or a screen to order (which if anyone has been paying attention that's been something years in development) you know you won't be able to please everyone.

So really the Chick-fil-A story has nothing to do with this thread or shortages. Just a snazzy way of catching people's attention.

Well, I sure don't remember the long lines at the closet Chick Fil A to me before the pandemic.

 

[tvguy]

I ordered a new car with an estimated wait time of 28+ weeks.

Just make sure you locked in the current price so you don't get a surprise when your car arrives.

 

[tvguy]

Philadelphia Cream Cheese update. Just back from Walmart and the local chain grocery store, all slots filled for cream cheese. About half Kraft and half Great Value at Walmart. Half Kraft and halt store brand at the chain store. The lady was stocking the cheese section at the chain store and I asked if there was a shortage of cream cheese and she said they have a couple of pallets of it in the refrigerated storage are that totals as much cream cheese as they normally sell during the Thanksgiving season, so she doesn't think it is an issue here.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, I sure don't remember the long lines at the closet Chick Fil A to me before the pandemic.

Really? Odd. I'm positive you can also find discussions on the DIS from years back discussing how many people they usually see in the lines although contrary to that article most people's impression of their drive-thru is they are efficient with their process and have a good handle of it. IIRC you're not a fan of Chick-fil-A and don't really go there.

They've always had long lines but it's usually just because they are just that popular. I believe the reason why building a location close by to another one didn't quite pan out business-wise is because it just meant even more people were going rather than I'm sure the intention was to spread out the demand. If you pay attention at airports they are usually the ones with the long lines (aside from Starbucks).

I know those of us on the West side of town here are desperate for a Chick-fil-A lol.

 

[tvguy]

Really? Odd. I'm positive you can also find discussions on the DIS from years back discussing how many people they usually see in the lines although contrary to that article most people's impression of their drive-thru is they are efficient with their process and have a good handle of it. IIRC you're not a fan of Chick-fil-A and don't really go there.

They've always had long lines but it's usually just because they are just that popular. I believe the reason why building a location close by to another one didn't quite pan out business-wise is because it just meant even more people were going rather than I'm sure the intention was to spread out the demand. If you pay attention at airports they are usually the ones with the long lines (aside from Starbucks).

I know those of us on the West side of town here are desperate for a Chick-fil-A lol.

Yes there was always a line, but not like now.
Since the pandemic they have had to hire a couple of people to direct traffic in the parking lot, and they have traffic cones out. They share a parking lot with an In and Out and a Car Wash. There used to be an Office Depot store too, but it closed, and the Chick Fil A traffic cones now have taken over that parking lot

EDITED: As luck would have it Google Street view has a shot from November 2020 after the pandemic started and they had to start with traffic cones............AND from February 2020 before the pandemic when the normal drive thru was big enough.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yes there was always a line, but not like now.
Since the pandemic they have had to hire a couple of people to direct traffic in the parking lot, and they have traffic cones out. They share a parking lot with an In and Out and a Car Wash. There used to be an Office Depot store too, but it closed, and the Chick Fil A traffic cones now have taken over that parking lot

Then the people of your area have suddenly discovered the wonderfulness of Chick-fil-A

You posted the article which is why I responded. To be fair it's more the article's fault but if you do any research you'll see it's always had long lines, they on average have had more customers than their competitors, they have on average a low order mess up percentage and the waits haven't deterred people from giving them high marks of satisfaction. What I was trying to get at is like normal article headlines are misleading. You posted it in a thread about shortages talking about employee shortages in the context of that headline but that's not actually what the information is about. The context is really about how their competitors are evolving to push people thru the lines faster in recent years and amid the pandemic when dining rooms were closed and delivery increased heavily and how Chick-fil-A is resistant to that given their business model of more customer contact not less. It was about how they have tried to improve their stores and how they have found that adding more locations nearby increases demand not spreads it out.

 

[tvguy]

Then the people of your area have suddenly discovered the wonderfulness of Chick-fil-A

You posted the article which is why I responded. To be fair it's more the article's fault but if you do any research you'll see it's always had long lines, they on average have had more customers than their competitors, they have on average a low order mess up percentage and the waits haven't deterred people from giving them high marks of satisfaction. What I was trying to get at is like normal article headlines are misleading. You posted it in a thread about shortages talking about employee shortages in the context of that headline but that's not actually what the information is about. The context is really about how their competitors are evolving to push people thru the lines faster in recent years and amid the pandemic when dining rooms were closed and delivery increased heavily and how Chick-fil-A is resistant to that given their business model of more customer contact not less. It was about how they have tried to improve their stores and how they have found that adding more locations nearby increases demand not spreads it out.

I only know what I see driving by or when I am next door at In and Out. I just don't like Chick Fil A's food........not a big chicken fan. Grew up in the early 1970's with the beef boycott, and then married a woman who loves chicken (except Chick Fil A) , I'm chickened out!

 

[EACarlson]

For me it was Sugar free pop. At the local Kroger subsidiary there was a week where there was no Diet Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer, Cream Soda or Orange. They only had diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Mt. Dew.

I know a guy that runs a bar/concession stand at a softball park. He's had to desperately search for soft drink cups for the last two months. And because of Health Department regulations, they can't fill a customers cup, so he's been loosing out on 20% of his sales.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I only know what I see driving by or when I am next door at In and Out. I just don't like Chick Fil A's food........not a big chicken fan. Grew up in the early 1970's with the beef boycott, and then married a woman who loves chicken (except Chick Fil A) , I'm chickened out!

I know you don't like the food and are not impressed by it..that's also why it made more sense why you shared the article. Long lines at Chick-fil-A aren't because of worker shortage, long lines at Chick-fil-A aren't because people don't like the food.

The pictures you shared don't look any different than what was pre-pandemic in my area. So I'm left with your area just discovering it all of a sudden (or anyone else's area where there's suddenly long lines). Regardless that's still not related to the article you posted about them estimating about 30% losage of customers due to their long lines. That issue existed before the pandemic and is just felt more during it.

 

[MICKIMINI]

My DH owns a small design, manufacture, and repair business. They are having the worst time getting parts so their customers are constantly yelling at them. The lease on DH's car is up in January. For the first time ever, he's considering buying his car at the end instead of leasing something else. There just isn't anything available.

DH's car is a 3 year Subaru lease with less than 2 years left. It has about 8000 miles on it and we leased it at such a good deal with the intention to pay cash at buyout and keep it. We got an email from them this morning offering him a new lease at pretty much the same monthly payment or 0 down and 72 months 2.49% to buy a 2022 Subaru. Not falling for that! Good luck with car shopping and he may be better off doing just that...and keeping the newfound equity!