If you’re planning your holiday shopping and you’ve heard all the talk about supply chain issues — including the time is now to shop — local retailers are ready for you.
Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jeanine McKenna says supply issues are prevalent at this time.
With a tongue-in-cheek statement, Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods urges people to buy now, buy local and go to local merchants instead of shopping big-box retailers online.
Retailers across the country have been bracing for item shortages now for weeks, and there are several reasons why. Americans have bought more items than past years during the pandemic, but a lot of those have been imported, according to Reuters. Contributing to the supply chain situation are ongoing labor shortages, equipment shortages including semiconductors affecting numerous business sectors, a lack of storage space and — now — ongoing hold-ups at major ports where container ships can’t offload their freight. The Biden administration has been working with ports, unions and big business to try to ease the current issues, but a lot of experts believe any significant progress won’t come until after Christmas.
