Shortly before the Christmas sales it’s getting serious at Germany’s retailers.
According to a new survey by the Ifo Institute, 74 percent of retailers complain about Delivery issues.
Ifo survey boss Klaus Wohlrabe (44) warns: “The procurement problems from the industry have now also arrived here. Some Christmas presents may not be available or will be expensive. “
In the bicycle trade even report Everyone companies surveyed about problems with their orders. “There is currently sand in the gears of global logistics,” says Wohlrabe. “In addition, freight rates in shipping have increased significantly.”
The after-effects of the timber price rally in the first half of the year are evident in DIY stores (99 percent) and furniture stores.
The scarcity of chips and semiconductors means that not every product is immediately available at electronics retailers. That’s what 97 percent of consumer electronics retailers say. In the motor vehicle trade (88 percent) there are delivery problems, especially with electric cars.
You can read here which specific products are in short supply:
Higher retail prices
All of this has consequences. “The industry has announced price increases and this is now inevitably arriving in the retail sector,” said Wohlrabe.
The trade association has meanwhile given the all-clear for problems with Christmas shopping. “With the upcoming Christmas business in mind, there is no need to worry,” CEO Stefan Genth recently told Reuters. “The search for suitable Christmas presents is assured again this year.”
However, he also admitted that new releases and new models of popular products could lead to bottlenecks. “It is not to be expected that people will stand in front of empty shelves when they go shopping for Christmas,” says Genth.
The Christmas business is the most important time of the year for German retail: in the past few years, retailers have generated sales of around 100 billion euros.