Quote:
Originally Posted by dicipher
Maybe you should read the thread and listen to what people are saying (there have certainly been enough comments at this point of people claiming they haven't had any real issues). But do keep your blinders on.
There is no National shortage. There are some issues on a regional basis. I'm sorry that's so hard for you to understand.
Next time do a search and you'll get your answer (it takes a mere seconds).
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I never said there were national shortages. Next time, figure out what people have said before you lose your ish.
By the way, I also do food deliveries, not just shops, and I remember when restaurants in this area had signs on their doors about a 'national chicken shortage', and that's why they didn't have certain items available on their menu. BUT, if you went to the store, you could get chicken, easily. Should we have mocked and ridiculed the restaurants who had those signs on their doors, because, 'When I go to the store, I see chicken, so it's not national! Geez, what a bunch of dummies!"
There are many suppliers. I go to Food Lion, I know I'm dealing with a different supplier for milk than the supplier for Harris Teeter, because the supplier for HT doesn't charge as much for the milk as the supplier does for FL. And no, it's not because HT is cheaper, they are actually more expensive than FL in just about every other department.
I don't know a single store here that isn't having issues. As I said, I do shops for other people. I sometimes ask store employees for help finding a product, or I'll ask if they have any in the back, and I've learned quite a bit in the last few months.
I've learned that one particular store didn't receive their pallets for 2 weeks.
I've learned that sometimes, items are removed from the truck, even though they were scheduled to be on the truck.
I've learned that some items that we can't make sense of why they are short, are created by companies that are having their own supply chain issue and can't get the ingredients for THEIR product.
The biggest issues in my area are dairy, pasta, bread, water - water is a massive fail. Every time I go in there, the water aisle is a waste land. Snack aisle - which, I don't consider essential, but it's sparse in places, nonetheless. And frozen vegetables.
What is hitting both grocery stores AND pet stores is a
massive shortage of cat food, cat litter, cat treats. My cat requires a Hills Science Diet prescription food. According to his vet, he has to be on it for the rest of his life. (I even had a major thread about the whole ordeal in the pet forum a few years back. He went through hell, and almost lost his life, twice.)
It had always been in stock. Last week, it was out in the store I go to. I called around to other stores that carry it, even called veterinarians. I had many unsuccessful calls. I ended up having to drive 20 miles to get his food. I just went in to the store I usually go to, yesterday. STILL didn't have it. I was informed that the truck removed some pallets from the delivery. Why? I don't know, but now I have to call around, again, just to find his food, and who knows how far I'll have to drive this time.
Cat food - one of my photos showed the empty shelves. That's not a one off. That's all the time, lately, in every store. Every. Store! All the stores I listed in my post showing photos - not a damn one of them has a good supply of cat food, of any kind, and because of that, what little they do have, they just jacked up the prices by roughly 15%. FANtastic.
I understand that you're sick of hearing people claim it's 'national' because your HEB has a better supplier than most stores, but can you also possibly understand why a post like your OP rubs people the wrong way? I don't find anything 'hilarious' about not being able to find something that keeps my cat alive. I don't find it funny that I have to drive 20 miles to get it, when the price of gas is now just 5 cents away from being $2 more per gallon than it was 2 years ago.
I don't care about people using sarcasm when it's merited, but mocking people who are going through this - I think it was in very poor taste.
Understand this: People in some areas are starting to suffer. We aren't starving to death, but we are being hit pretty hard by these supply issues, by the price of gas, by prices going up, etc. You not seeing it doesn't mean that others aren't.
The people who are hit the worst are those who don't have a lot of money. The poorer people. They can't even find any pasta to make a cheap meal. Food prices, overall, have gone up, and keep going up. They still have to go to work, yet the gas prices have risen to a ridiculous amount. They still need a place to live, yet rents have gone up 20% in the last 6 months. Water (to your house) and electric have gone up.
I'm glad that your HEB is well stocked, and I'm glad that you haven't seen any of this, but other people have.
This did start gradually. Up until about 3 months ago, we didn't really have any issues. Maybe a run on chicken if there was going to be snow the next day, but we didn't have the empty spaces or shelves. But it slowly started creeping in. And it's getting worse, and worse, and worse.
If you want to lambast people who you think are exaggerating, then lambast them, personally, not start a thread acting like anyone who says they're having a shortage is lying. They aren't. And certain people in this country are being hit harder than others.
You could ask people in my area who have all the money in the world - do you think they see the empty shelves when they have others do their shopping for them? I'd bet some of them, who don't go to the store, have any clue how bad it is. When I tell them that an item is out, they have the money to substitute to another item that costs more. Not everyone has that kind of budget. So to them, they could easily say the same, 'Well, I don't see a problem.'
It's like the people working from home - they have no idea how lucky they are right now (for many reasons) because they don't have to fill up at the gas station to get to/from work. Now, a tank of gas might last them a month or more since they don't have that commute. But what about the people who have to go into work, because they can't do their job at home? It's hitting them hard.
Great. It's not in your area, and yes, sarcasm is sometimes hysterical, but you have to know when to use it, and when to approach something a different way. Your initial post did not come across as giving a damn about anyone who faces these shortages. Your initial post didn't even come across as being aware that in some places, there are shortages, nor did it come across as you only 'making fun of those who claim it's national'. Your initial post came across as mocking everyone who is actually living through it, right now, real time.