Buy Them Now: Shoppers Urged To Get A Jump On The Holidays Due To Global Shipping Problems
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — With global shipping moving grindingly slow, experts are urging holiday shoppers to move now if they want to have gifts to put under the Christmas tree.
A record 60 cargo ships are waiting off the coast of Southern California, waiting to unload its cargo at the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in the nation. Another 20 ships are due to arrive in just days, according to port officials.
Shipping has been choked across the globe due to a variety of factors, including workers being out of commission due to COVID-19 infection, a lack of shipping containers, and a shortage of materials.
Ed Desmond with the Toy Association, who joined the port's monthly briefing Wednesday, says shoppers who see toys now that their children would like should buy them now, and hide them away until the holidays.
"We do have a good supply right now," Desmond said. "You know, large retailers do a reset around Labor Day, so the stores right now have a pretty healthy supply."
But Desmond says the association doesn't know how long shelves will stay stocked, and if consumers will see the kind of variety they are accustomed to.
Because of shipping delays, more people may shop in stores this season, Desmond said.