Philadelphia Area Residents Faced With Delayed Deliveries, Empty Shelves As Supply Chain Issues Resurface
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Out of stock! We are once again seeing empty grocery store shelves. This time around, it's not just COVID-19 that's hurting the supply chain.
Delayed deliveries, empty shelves and limited staff. It's a challenge many residents are currently faced with.
Customers making their way around the South Philly Food Co-op may notice a few empty shelves.
"Our best-priced milk is out of stock for some of the options today until we're able to replenish. Some of our greens are out of stock this week," South Philly Food Co-op General Manager Lori Burge said.
Burge is hands-on, as they've had additional shortages since the omicron variant started picking up speed.
"Replenishing our shelves has been a challenge and then of course, like most places, staffing has been an issue as well. We've had a number of staff that have been out," Burge said.
Add shift changes, adjusted store hours and delayed deliveries, the co-op is not the only business that's had to adapt.
Last week, a Walmart in South Philly shut its doors for extensive cleaning and restocking.
Consumers are seeing the brunt of the supply chain shortage. This viewer photo shows empty shelves.
The customer says there was no orange juice to be found in the three stores he visited. Others are facing similar issues.
"There's a sign on the freezer door saying there's a limited supply and they had nothing," Pete Serratore said.
"Towels, cleaning supplies, stuff like that. Milk," Pete Bieccia said.
"Allergy meds, that's like empty. Just some general first aid supplies and some cleaning products," Karen Stevens said.
Plant-based consumer Sean Mentis finds it easier to shop at a co-op.
"There's a lot more accessibility. Sometimes the prices can be a little inconvenient but you know, nonetheless, it's here," Mentis said.
While it may be difficult to find what you're looking for, you may notice prices are a bit higher. That's because inflation has increased 7%. Right now, it's the highest it's been since 1982.