CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Thanks to global supply chain disarray caused by the pandemic, everything from furnace filters to Furbies, lightbulbs to Legos are in danger of being in short supply this holiday season.
Money and finance expert Matt Sapaula told “Morning in America” host Adrienne Bankert that store owners (even online ones) are all facing the same issue: Goods just aren’t coming in fast enough to keep the shelves stocked, which means many hot items may no longer be in stock for last-minute shoppers … or even three-weeks-ahead shoppers.
According to Sapaula, everything from iPhones and gaming consoles to Pokemon cards come from China, and right now there are hundreds of thousands of shipping containers on ships waiting to be unloaded at U.S. ports.
“The ships have to dock, get unloaded and then the goods have to get to retailers,” Sapaula said.
Sapaula said to capitalize on the shortage, entrepreneurs are expanding the “Black Friday window” and starting deals as early as now to sell off the stock they do have and draw the most customers.
Sapaula warned, “If you wait until close to Christmas, prices may skyrocket because there’s just not going to be enough product on the shelves to purchase.” He hopes that even the traditional last-minute shoppers might take heed and not wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping.
Amazon has already rolled out a number of discounts for early Black Friday shoppers, including:
- Apple AirPods Pro ($179.99, down from $249)
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 ($219.99, down from $269.99)
- Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Signature Sauteuse Oven ($179.95, down from $300)
- Sony X80J 75-inch 4K TV ($1,098, down from $1,499.99)
- Vitamix A3500 blender ($524.95, down from $699.99)
- Shark Wandvac System Cordless Stick Vacuum ($199.99, down from $249.99)
- Cricut Maker ($249, down from $369.99)
Target has also said it will be breaking out early deals, and will bring back its Deal Days for this holiday season. The three-day shopping special is scheduled for Oct. 10 through Oct. 12 this year.
Target promises “deep discounts” throughout the store, with deals on items including TVs, Beats headphones, fleece, video games, vacuums, kitchen appliances, food and beverage offerings, and more.
For the first time, Target’s Deal Days will also be available in-store.