Amazon Has a Plan for Supply Chain Issues and Labor Shortages as Holiday Season Begins

Amazon trailer trucks are seen at Cherbourg Harbour, France, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Amazon on Monday reassured shoppers and industry watchers that it’s well-prepared to avoid supply-chain challenges during the holiday season.

In a blog post, Amazon said a combination of planes, trucks, ships and delivery vans, along with staffed-up warehouses, has put it in a good position to “get customers what they want, when they want it, wherever they are this holiday season.”

Retailers are entering what’s poised to be a particularly challenging holiday shopping period, due to existing supply-chain woes, inflationary pressures and labor shortages. Several factors are behind the issues, including skyrocketing shipping container costs and container shortages, Covid-19 outbreaks at shipping ports, as well as a shortage of workers needed to unload containers and handle goods at warehouses.

Experts have warned that consumers could see more out-of-stock notices, longer delivery times and fewer deals as a result.

Many retailers nudged consumers to begin their holiday shopping early to avoid any snafus. Earlier this month, Amazon launched “Black Friday-worthy” deals to jump-start the holiday shopping season.

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SOURCE: CNBC, Annie Palmer