NEW YORK (Transatlantic Today): Because of supply chain disruptions and Omicron infecting personnel, grocery businesses were already having trouble keeping their shelves filled. Markets across the United States are already bracing for a significant winter storm that might leave store shelves even more barren.
Over the long holiday weekend, a large winter storm is expected to hit the Midwest, South, and East Coast, causing grocery stores to struggle to keep adequate supplies of everyday goods like milk, juice, fruit, soups, and meats in stock.
Consumers are known for stockpiling groceries during severe weather events, according to Miguel Gomez, Robert G. Tobin Professor of food marketing at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics.
The storms have arrived at the worst possible time for supermarkets. Consumers throughout the nation have vented their frustrations on social media in recent days, uploading photographs of empty shelves at Trader Joe’s, Giant Foods, and Publix shops, among others.
According to the most current statistics from market research company IRI, supermarket chains across the country are currently grappling with a restricted supply of all types of food and home goods.
According to IRI, grocery stores are stocked 90 percent to 95 percent of the time in the best of times across product categories. When inventory dips below 90%, customers begin to notice empty shelves in stores.
According to IRI data for the week ending Jan. 9, supply of various food and beverage categories were below 90%: frozen and refrigerated meats were below 90%, frozen baked products were at 69 percent, and fruits, cookies, and breakfast items were all below 90%. Refrigerated beverages accounted for 88 percent of the total, while refrigerated dough accounted for 60 percent.
Sports and energy drinks, juices, pet care, and paper products, among other items, were all below 90% supply for the week.
As product sources become scarce, consumers are forced to accept higher food prices.
Even in a typical year, the assault of extreme weather events tends to disrupt the supermarket supply chain.
“It’s usually short-lived, and then we move on,” said Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations for FMI, an industry trade group.
Winter weather setbacks, however, are rendering the supply chain function more difficult, according to Baker, due to Omicron and absenteeism rate in the food industry.
Baker recommended buyers to be flexible due to limited availability in grocery stores.