Ella Metzler ’22 and Rosie Parlavecchio ’22
If you are one of the many procrastinators that wait until the last minute for Christmas shopping, keep reading. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a surge in online shopping; however, labor shortages and jammed shipping ports, among other factors, have only been heightened during the holiday season, resulting in global supply chain issues and extreme shipping delays. The Los Angeles Times writes, “The global supply chain of international goods movement is like a light switch on a wall: It just works…and right now the global supply chain isn’t working.” Retailers and mail services are attempting to beat the delay by chartering their own vessels and increasing holiday shipping volumes by raising rates. According to Supply Chain Dive, as of October first, the United States Postal Service slowed the delivery of first class mail.
Despite these rising issues, there’s still ways to avoid the shipping crunch. According to CBS News, “There are plenty of great pre-Black Friday sales at Amazon, Nordstrom, Kohl’s and other retailers right now, offering popular electronics, kitchenware, apparel and more at deep discounts.” More tips to ease the stress of holiday shopping include getting your shopping done early, and when checking out, choosing the pick-up option to avoid shipping delays and fees. Especially, expect the unexpected delays. Mr. MacGuidwin, the chief operation officer of Catch Co., told the New York Times, “You’re very much not in control.” Keep an open mind when shopping. Shipping alone is not the issue: it’s the entire system of global supply and demand.
Border by Katie Nguyen ’23