Why Are There Stock Shortages?

We live in an era where clicking a button and next-day (sometimes same-day) goods arrive on your doorstep. This is normal. Continuous improvements within logistics and technology have allowed us to work in a much more efficient environment, with fast, streamlined services becoming the standard.

So, it’s no wonder issues of extended lead times and product shortages on nearly everything have caused such a huge ripple across the globe. It has provoked a change in our expectations and standards, allowing us to innovate with ways to minimise the impact this has on our customer base and review our processes.

Why is it happening?

There are heaps of factors to consider, like the Suez Canal blockage or factory shutdowns in large industrial corporations, but the elephant in the room? You guessed it - the pandemic. So many repercussions have come from the rules enforced during these times, one of them being disruption throughout the supply chain.

We all know China is the largest source of supply for manufacturing, and it's being proven currently when cities go into lockdown, the number of workers reduces and factories are forced to slow production right down.

Although, it isn't just China where impacts have had a global effect! Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan, or European industrial giants like Germany, where the most global manufacturing dependence lies, have to adhere to government guidelines and are also experiencing these hardships.

So with workers in scarcity, this has not had a positive impact on responding to the increased demand in other industries. Demand across the board has been (mostly) predictable for years and now has suddenly surged.

So Why Didn’t They Just Produce More?

That’s a good question! Many did, and many came up against problems. With the increased need for goods, this also applies to raw materials. These are sourced from all over the globe, putting pressure on logistics to deliver in this area.

They responded to the rising demand, but then there was the issue of getting it out. This was due to the driver shortage in the UK and Europe, as well as the ‘shipping container issue’. All this eventually led to prices and lead times skyrocketing on just about everything logistical…and this is where we are today.

So, how does this affect the products we supply you? There are raw materials we have struggled to source. For instance, silicone or certain propellants; prices increasing majorly and lead times becoming extensive.

The most blatant restraint you would have experienced from us would be lead times, and, with increased demand for goods and a shortage of drivers, we strive to despatch goods the same day, notifying a couple of days for delivery.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

It can only get better from here, right? Well, unfortunately, we don't know.

What we do know is that problems are going to continue over Christmas and well into 2022, and it's up to us to dictate our response. At TYGRIS we are doing everything to help it stay as streamlined as possible for you and your customers.

We are making you aware of extended lead times, and where we cannot source, we go to lengths to make sure we deliver and cater to your needs. We aren’t using current issues as an excuse for not delivering on the standard we have set ourselves, we are planning to make sure the impact is as minimal as possible. So at TYGRIS, our mission is to make it easy and accessible to source our products, no matter the state of the world!