Just went to the grocery store. How dare them! (school, town, business)
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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.
I am so sorry about your cat.. DD in Florida needs special food for her diabetic cat. She gets it from the vets office. Or Chewy.com.
She also cooks every evening meal for her 99 year old in laws, next door. If she had any trouble finding the special needs foods for them I would have heard about it.
HEB is not in the Dallas area yet. My kid there has no problem getting groceries. They eat most lean meat and non starchy veggies, not much beef.
DD in NYC has been getting her groceries from fresh direct for years. No problems.
Relatives in Tahoe have no problems and you want talk isolated and not on anybody's through route.
Relative in Hawaii, no problems.
Relative down on the Baja, no problems.
So I still think it is regional.
As far as driving 20 miles to get Rx cat food, I live in Texas so that's just down the road here.
It depends on what you are trying to buy if there is a nation wide shortage. For example, Coke announced they could not get the flavoring for some of their products so production had stopped on those. Frito-Lay is having trouble getting some seasonings for some of their chips. If you don't buy either of those, you don't see a shortage. Other companies have had the same issues.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dicipher
Would that be the same as people posting multiple threads spreading hyperbole implying that a regional issue is national in scope? Did you ever go into those threads and point that out? I'm thinking not. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
And what we're choosing to believe is what we see with our own eyes (the best source I know of) and not getting caught up into political hogwash.
Please - quit trying to goad people. If you go back - I've more than once said in those threads that I'm happy for those that don't have shortages - and have also said JUST BECAUSE it doesn't affect you DOESN'T mean the others aren't seeing shortages in their areas.
You actually could have answered your own question by going back and looking through those threads yourself - thereby saving yourself from looking childish.
I order through Chewy.com and even they are out of stock of certain types - fish based mostly is out.
My 10 ferals want Friskies whitefish and tuna or whitefish and sardines. I use 9 cans a day plus dry trying to trap 4 half grown kittens to get them fixed. Chewy's sends it later if they don't have it at my standing order of 4 cases plus 2 bags of dry. These damn cats are getting heavily into my wine budget. But the neighborhood does not need anymore community cats.
Gonna check Costco. My Costco has an entire aisle of dog food and a tiny section of wet cat food, sometimes. I have never seen dry cat food.
And? Does saving money offend you? Will people use the information and try to extort money from you by threatening to tell others you bought a quart of Blue Bell Ice Cream.
What is the point of this thread? It's common knowledge many people are experiencing shortages where they shop. You haven't, so good for you.
Literally just got back from the grocery store. No issues for the most part but my last few trips there has always been one specific item that is completely wiped out (both the store and national brands). Last time it was almond milk and today it was turkey bacon.
With the drought in California, almond products are going to be harder to get. Many farmers are cutting back on the almond trees because of the lack of water. I can find refrigerated almond milk, but the shelf stable cartons are out of stock and have been for a while in the stores where I shop. I've noticed there has been more almond/coconut varieties available to lessen the quantity of almond milk in the same container.
"California drought takes toll on world's top almond producer"
I am so sorry about your cat.. DD in Florida needs special food for her diabetic cat. She gets it from the vets office. Or Chewy.com.
She also cooks every evening meal for her 99 year old in laws, next door. If she had any trouble finding the special needs foods for them I would have heard about it.
HEB is not in the Dallas area yet. My kid there has no problem getting groceries. They eat most lean meat and non starchy veggies, not much beef.
DD in NYC has been getting her groceries from fresh direct for years. No problems.
Relatives in Tahoe have no problems and you want talk isolated and not on anybody's through route.
Relative in Hawaii, no problems.
Relative down on the Baja, no problems.
So I still think it is regional.
As far as driving 20 miles to get Rx cat food, I live in Texas so that's just down the road here.
Very similar for me. Have friends and family in CA and I'm in Texas....so the two most populous states in the Country. Also have familiy in North Carolina, and friends in Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, and Colorado.....no problems. Clearly it's regional.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathguy
The problem is that:
1) Prices definitely up
2) Some items out infrequently
The additional problem is that some folks try to portray things dishonestly by referencing shelves after people clear the shelves ahead of a big storm or a specific store with some issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant
If having to settle for a brand that isn't your preference, immediately after a massive global pandemic that severely disrupted global supply chains, is your worst problem, I would suggest to you that you have a pretty good life. Practice some tactical patience for once. Those shelves will be back if there is money to be made.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant
What! Next you’ll say we went through a massive pandemic affecting worker availability and pay, and rippling down the supply chain to cause shortages of peoples “favorite brands.” Don’t bring logic into it, how dare you?
So some can’t get their favorite cream cheese on demand. Man, first world problems indeed…
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