Supply Chain Issues Force Businesses, Shoppers To Adjust For Cyber Monday
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- From the cute doll you've been trying to find to that slick-looking scooter you've been tracking down for your 4-year-old, Cyber Monday is on the mind during a time some things are hard to find.David Flury works at Wee Chic, a children's clothing and toy store in Lutherville."I think people are heeding to warnings and getting in and shopping early which is really important because you just want to make sure you can get it," he tells WJZ. "It's great to able to touch and feel it and it's great for us as a local business to be able to help them."Six days a week, Wee Chic has been working hard to make sure everything is stocked ready to go. For some, it's been hard and for others, pretty easy.Toby Goodman is a shopper from Baltimore."I've done some stuff online which is 1, 2, 3," Goodman said, her eyebrows raised with enthusiasm."But yet the stores I've gone into, everything I've needed I found, haven't had any issues with supply delays so all good," she said.Amazon says they're delivering more than 60% of its own packages. 2020 was spent building out their own network of fulfillment centers, planes, and trucks. The United States Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS take care of the rest."Goods that are manufactured within the U.S are much more available from a transportation standpoint than those coming in over the port," supply chain expert Todd Hughes said over Zoom. "We are as a result of what's going on right now, we are seeing a significant resurgence of manufacturing."This means shopping locally for Cyber Monday is a win-win for both you and the supplier."Having individuals that focus on understanding where the goods are sourced and how that could impact each individual company and deciding how and where they locate in making those decisions with the big picture criteria in the front of their minds," Hugh added.The USPS and FedEx have a shipping deadline of December 15 for packages to arrive by Christmas Day. UPS did not set a deadline yet, but they want everyone to ship as early as possible.