Stores in the Dallas area are reporting a shortage of cold and cough medicine
Shortages at grocery stores for a variety of supplies such as produce and meat and packaged goods have been in short supply in recent days. Grocery stores across the nation typically have 5% to 10% of their items out of stock, but now that figure sits at about 15%, Consumer Brands Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman told the Associated Press.
"People don't need to panic buy," Lisa DeLima, a spokesperson for Mom's Organic Market, told the AP. "There's plenty of product to be had. It's just taking a little longer to get from point A to point B." The shortages stem from consumers following COVID trends and eating at home as the omicron variant of the virus spreads. While a deficit of truck drivers, shipping issues, weather-related shipping delays and food production lines struggling with staffing due to coronavirus-related absences are adding to the shortages.
Some retail leaders are optimistic that the dearth of products will soon correct to normal patterns. But others say the issues could last years due to grocery stores and food companies figuring out consumers’ buying trends. "We're going to be playing with that whole inventory system for several years to come," Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations for FMI, a trade organization for groceries and food producers.