There could be delivery bottlenecks again at Christmas. The German retail trade fears this for toys, among other things.
Kassel – No presents at Christmas? As in the previous year, there could also be supply bottlenecks in retail this Christmas. The supply chains would still not run as they did before the corona pandemic. Stefan Genth, the general manager of the German Trade Association (HDE), commented on the newspapers of the Funke media group : “Some products such as electronic devices, toys and textiles from Asia are likely to be scarce at Christmas.”
So there will be delivery bottlenecks this year at Christmas time. “90 percent of retailers continue to report delivery problems,” said Genth. “A lot of things arrive later or in the wrong number,” he explained. This is because ships are in queues or are not yet on schedule.
“In addition, there is the global lack of chips, which is slowing down production,” says the HDE general manager. The reason for the internationally disrupted supply chains is still the corona pandemic. The Ukraine conflict has not improved the situation on the market either.
Delivery bottlenecks at Christmas: These products could become scarce
- Electronic equipment
- toys
- Textiles (mainly from Asia)
Delivery bottlenecks at Christmas: There is a lack of staff in retail
In addition, there is a shortage of employees in the German retail sector. “There are currently around 56,500 vacancies in retail – around 3,300 more than before the pandemic,” Genth reported to the newspapers of the Funke media group . Another problem in this industry is the lack of skilled workers. There are still 35,000 vacancies in the core training occupations of clerk and salesperson.
For those who always get their Christmas presents at the last minute, things could get even more stressful this year. If you want to be sure that everything will be there on time, it is better to take care of the gifts a little earlier. But delivery bottlenecks are not only feared for Christmas presents. Patients suffer from the supply bottlenecks for medicines. (yo/AFP)
