Supermarket Shortgages

[joestein]

There is a lot of news these days about supermarket shortages. I was just reading an article on Yahoo about it.

Grocery stores still have empty shelves amid supply chain disruptions, omicron and winter storms (yahoo.com)

In the tri-state area, there was a supposed cream cheese shortage (not sure if in the rest of the country - not sure if bagels are really that much of a thing elsewhere) and a lot of bagel stores said they couldn't get cream cheese. I asked the bagel store if they had problems getting it - they said no.

I never really see any shortages in the stores. I had no trouble getting cream cheese. I don't really see any other shortages - thought I mainly shop at Lidl and Aldi. When I went to Shoprite, a more proper supermarket, I didn't see any shortages other than some of the big sale items. I couldn't get mallow mars on sale for $1.49. They were sold out. Store manager did say they got only 3 pallets instead of the 5 they requested.

What is everybody else's experience?

 

[Icc5]

Here in California the only items my wife has said she had a hard time getting was some dairy items such as coffee creamer at Safeway. We were told it was because of people out sick since these items are made locally.
She see large holes in the dairy shelves. Locally things seem fine. We had plenty of cream cheese but we like Safeway brand much better then Philly anyways. Oh, we have always loved bagels.
Years ago I convinced our local store to make some poppyseed bagels. It took a few months but then I heard it was the top selling bagel in our area and the merchandiser told all local stores to make them. That was about 20 years ago and we now are back to having a hard time getting them. Bakery managers never think they will sell great so they never make enough.
Bart

 

[mdurette]

90% of my groceries come from Walmart delivery, so not sure about their store shelves. But, I know I use search for perdue chicken and fI would have pages of options, not anymore. Maybe 10 options to pick from. Chicken wings haven't been seen for a while.

I went into our local non chain grocery store this weekend, where I buy most beef and noticed there was not a single egg in the store. Just signs that state sorry no eggs, due to supply shortage. Can't find chicken wings there either.

 

[pedro47]

I have not seen any grocery items shortages. But I have seen the high increase prices in meat, poultry, fish, and chicken items in the grocery stores.

 

[geist1223]

We occasionally see some partially empty shelves but we can find what we want. Just bought Whole Milk at 87 cents per gallon. Chicken legs, thighs and breast bone in and with skin were 99 cents per pound.

 

[Passepartout]

I do 90% of our shopping, and that at a Kroger (Smith's) store. I have noted, 'rolling shortages' of some items- they'll have a supply one week and then it's back and something else is short. I have learned to buy distilled water when I find it. Last week, mandarin oranges were not to be found. When the 'great cream cheese shortage' was advertised, we had plenty. A week ago they had zero cut up chickens.

Nothing is critical, and where we live the grocery distribution systems are widely varied. Albertson's, Walmart, Smith's, Winco, Target and a couple of independent mini chains each have their own warehouse sources.

More of a bother is that the supermarkets used to be 24 hour operations, and shelves would be stocked during graveyard shift. Now, the stores close late at night and re-open in the morning, and the aisles are loaded with pallets of freight. So almost whenever you go shopping, there are stockers stocking, and pallet jacks and forklifts to dodge. Probably a side effect of the general labor shortage for low paying 'undesirable' jobs. I wouldn't want to spend my nights stocking store shelves for $7.25 either- especially when McDonalds is offering near $20 an hour.

 

[pedro47]

I do 90% of our shopping, and that at a Kroger (Smith's) store. I have noted, 'rolling shortages' of some items- they'll have a supply one week and then it's back and something else is short. I have learned to buy distilled water when I find it. Last week, mandarin oranges were not to be found. When the 'great cream cheese shortage' was advertised, we had plenty. A week ago they had zero cut up chickens.

Nothing is critical, and where we live the grocery distribution systems are widely varied. Albertson's, Walmart, Smith's, Winco, Target and a couple of independent mini chains each have their own warehouse sources.

More of a bother is that the supermarkets used to be 24 hour operations, and shelves would be stocked during graveyard shift. Now, the stores close late at night and re-open in the morning, and the aisles are loaded with pallets of freight. So almost whenever you go shopping, there are stockers stocking, and pallet jacks and forklifts to dodge. Probably a side effect of the general labor shortage for low paying 'undesirable' jobs. I wouldn't want to spend my nights stocking store shelves for $7.25 either- especially when McDonalds is offering near $20 an hour.

We are paying $2.60 for a gallon of milk at Kroger.

 

[dioxide45]

I noticed almost no cream cheese at our local Winn-Dixie the other day. Unless I wanted a spreadable tub with fruit in it, there was really nothing to pick from. THough I did manage to find one small tub of plain cream cheese off to the side. No boxes of the stuff and no other ones like DW prefers with cinnamon. I noticed the potato chip aisle pretty empty the other day, but that was probably more to do with the season and football than anything else.

I do notice instances where there is no gallons of water, but I think that is just poor stocking by the store. It has almost been impossible to find Cherry Coke Zero for about the last eight months, but I have noticed it a few times again recently. Outside of that, there aren't many things we can't get when going shopping. I am not a "big trip" shopper. I would rather go a few times a week than plan everything out and do a big bang trip.

 

[Passepartout]

We are paying $2.60 for a gallon of milk at Kroger.

I pay $1.38.

 

[joestein]

I do 90% of our shopping, and that at a Kroger (Smith's) store. I have noted, 'rolling shortages' of some items- they'll have a supply one week and then it's back and something else is short. I have learned to buy distilled water when I find it. Last week, mandarin oranges were not to be found. When the 'great cream cheese shortage' was advertised, we had plenty. A week ago they had zero cut up chickens.

Nothing is critical, and where we live the grocery distribution systems are widely varied. Albertson's, Walmart, Smith's, Winco, Target and a couple of independent mini chains each have their own warehouse sources.

More of a bother is that the supermarkets used to be 24 hour operations, and shelves would be stocked during graveyard shift. Now, the stores close late at night and re-open in the morning, and the aisles are loaded with pallets of freight. So almost whenever you go shopping, there are stockers stocking, and pallet jacks and forklifts to dodge. Probably a side effect of the general labor shortage for low paying 'undesirable' jobs. I wouldn't want to spend my nights stocking store shelves for $7.25 either- especially when McDonalds is offering near $20 an hour.

Near us it has been that way for a while. Before I moved, I would shop on Sunday early in the morning. maybe 7am. They weren't stocking then, but had cleaning people with those large floor spinning buffing machines and they were aggravated that my shopping cart was in their way.

Not that different than Sam's Club this weekend when I took an item from a lower box and the person working said I just made more work for him.

 

[joestein]

I noticed almost no cream cheese at our local Winn-Dixie the other day. Unless I wanted a spreadable tub with fruit in it, there was really nothing to pick from. THough I did manage to find one small tub of plain cream cheese off to the side. No boxes of the stuff and no other ones like DW prefers with cinnamon. I noticed the potato chip aisle pretty empty the other day, but that was probably more to do with the season and football than anything else.

I do notice instances where there is no gallons of water, but I think that is just poor stocking by the store. It has almost been impossible to find Cherry Coke Zero for about the last eight months, but I have noticed it a few times again recently. Outside of that, there aren't many things we can't get when going shopping. I am not a "big trip" shopper. I would rather go a few times a week than plan everything out and do a big bang trip.

I do find it hard to find Pepsi Zero. Though there is no shortage of Diet Pepsi. This has been the case way before the pandemic started. They deliver too much diet pepsi vs pepsi zero.

 

[Passepartout]

I do find it hard to find Pepsi Zero. Though there is no shortage of Diet Pepsi. This has been the case way before the pandemic started. They deliver too much diet pepsi vs pepsi zero.

There is a nationwide shortage of aluminum cans. Bottlers are restricting sales hereabouts to 2-3 12/packs per shopper. Also the stocking of soda products and chips and bread in grocery stores (at least in my area) is done by 'route salespeople', NOT by store employees. These folks work on commission based on sales. That's why they 'face the shelves' often and construct elaborate displays in the stores. This doesn't apply to warehouse stores like Sam's or Costco.

 

[dioxide45]

There is a nationwide shortage of aluminum cans. Bottlers are restricting sales hereabouts to 2-3 12/packs per shopper. Also the stocking of soda products and chips and bread in grocery stores (at least in my area) is done by 'route salespeople', NOT by store employees. These folks work on commission based on sales. That's why they 'face the shelves' often and construct elaborate displays in the stores. This doesn't apply to warehouse stores like Sam's or Costco.

My issue is with 2L bottles.

 

[SmithOp]

I haven't been able to find decaf colas for some time, i've had to switch to natural decaf flavors, mostly drink lime seltzer waters now. We don't do caffeine.

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[Sandy VDH]

Cat food has been a problem for me lately. I have a picky cat and the food she likes has not been available. Also 1/2 & 1/2 was not available on my last order too.

There was already a known Cream Cheese shortage that started in the fall.

 

[slip]

I pay $1.38.

I pay $3.78 for a half gallon on Oahu.

 

[Luanne]

I don't normally do the grocery shopping but I went with Steve this week. The butcher department at Sprouts was about 2/3 empty. They had none of the eggs we usually buy, or the half and half. Luckily there is a Market Street in the same center and we could get the items there that were missing. But neither store had any frozen hash browns.

 

[Passepartout]

I pay $3.78 for a half gallon on Oahu.

I about had a heart attack when I saw the dairy prices in Hawaii! Our county is the largest producing dairy county in the US. We are almost awash with milk and milk products. Our Chobani yoghurt plant alone uses a million pounds of milk a day. Every day. And we have several cheese plants too. Unfortunately, that also contributes to the side effect of 'dairy air'- but we don't need to go there.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

Just went shopping yesterday at Albertsons. Casually noticed only one bare shelf where the ramen is. Plenty of dairy (though perennially expensive here in CA compared to most other places), plenty of meat and produce, lots of chips. No Coke Zero again (been very spotty during the whole pandemic), but as usual lots of Diet Pepsi, which DW loves. I also drink it when Coke Zero isn't available.

 

[dioxide45]

Coke Zero and Pepsi Zero haven't been an issue for us, just Cherry Coke Zero. Recently when they had it, there was usually only one or two bottles on the shelf. Our store often has a BOGO or Buy 2 Get 2. With that, the Cherry Coke and Cherry Coke Zero is usually the first to sell out.

 

[amycurl]

I have found the shortages in the dairy area, too.
At the end of the day, we've lost nearly a million people, millions of others are currently isolating/quarantining, and millions more have decided that the risk/benefit ratio isn't worth it for some of these jobs. I think these "rolling shortages" will stay with us for quite some time.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I do find it hard to find Pepsi Zero. Though there is no shortage of Diet Pepsi. This has been the case way before the pandemic started. They deliver too much diet pepsi vs pepsi zero.

It's been all but impossible to find any Pepsi Zero, or Mountain Dew Zero for at least six months.

The odd part of this is that Coke Zero is always abundantly available anywhere I go. Not sure why there is plenty of Coke Zero, and no Pepsi Zero.

Personally? There is a distinct taste difference between Coke Zero and Pepsi Zero. I prefer the Pepsi Zero.



.

 

[joestein]

There is a nationwide shortage of aluminum cans. Bottlers are restricting sales hereabouts to 2-3 12/packs per shopper. Also the stocking of soda products and chips and bread in grocery stores (at least in my area) is done by 'route salespeople', NOT by store employees. These folks work on commission based on sales. That's why they 'face the shelves' often and construct elaborate displays in the stores. This doesn't apply to warehouse stores like Sam's or Costco.

You are correct on the stocking. I am referring to 12-pack of cans and 6-packs of plastic 16oz bottle. I generally don't buy 2L bottles - I tend to drink too much soda with them. I have one of those big YETI cups and I will pour a can/bottle into it with ice. But if I use a 2L - I will just add some ice and fill it up. I end up with a lot more soda rather than 12oz or 16oz.

I have asked the route salespeople to bring more Pepsi Zero. I have pointed out that there is always plenty of regular pepsi and diet pepsi, but pepsi zero is almost always sold out. I point out that he has like 2 columns of pepsi zero vs 10-15 each for regular pepsi and diet pepsi. They always mumble something about I just bring what they tell me and it doesn't sell that well. I point out that you can't sell what isn't here. I have also pointed it out to the managers of shoprite - they say I have to speak to the pepsi stocker.

So, I learned to shut my mouth and just deal with it.

 

[joestein]

I pay $3.78 for a half gallon on Oahu.

That is around what I pay here in NJ

 

[kanerf]

There have been shortages in my area (Northern VA next to DC), but they are weird. I will go into Walmart and there is no Half-n-Half for example, but plenty at a regular grocery store down the street. I like lemonade and there will be none for a week or so and then plenty available.