No More Wire Hangers? Supply Chain Crisis Now Impacting Businesses You Least Expect

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The supply chain crisis is impacting local businesses that you may not have expected.

No more wire hangers?

"Please, bring the hanger back to us!" said Ha Wan Ku, owner of Vogue Cleaners.

That's the plea from Ha Wan Ku to his customers after decades in business. Running out of hangers is the last thing he thought his cleaners would have to face.

"I don't know, if we run out of hangers that would be a big problem," said Ku.

Supply chain delays have products heading to the US sitting seaside, unable to get shipments to land. Ku's weekly shipment of hangers now takes at least a month or more to receive compared to the standard one-week shipping.

He's not the only one. Local chain Swansons Cleaners is also asking their customers to recycle hangers. A message to customers posted on their door says: "We are currently experiencing a severe shortage of hangers due to COVID-19 supply chain disruptions."

"Most supply comes from foreign country. Shipping cost is high and they don't have enough material to make it," explained Ku.

Businesses that you might least expect are also feeling the impact

"It is the most frustrating thing," explained Addison Williams, manager at Cresco Restaurant Equipment. "Right now, our biggest issues are some of the smaller items that people take for granted."

Plates and silverware are just some of the items that are flying off the shelves at Cresco Restaurant Equipment. Even larger items like fryers are on an 8-month backlog.

"It kills me to tell a customer that I can't get it and it's going to take me months to get it and I don't even want to order it for you because I can't promise you when you'll get it," explained Williams.

A supply setback frustrating consumers,  hoping delays don't last for long

"I think it would be nice if they took a broader look at it and actually brought some of our businesses back to the united states so that wasn't the issue," said resident Debra Revell.

Businesses are working to sustain themselves day by day without any idea of how long the supply chain issues will last.