What Shortages are You Seeing?

[goshengirl]

I was at a Meijer today. The pharmacy section had LOTS of empty spots, and where there was product, it wasn't deep. Looked like the sad leftovers of a going out of business sale.

 

[elkhound]

friends drove to where all truck farming takes places. green beans are $65 a bushel and $2.49 a pound and largest place only had 2 bushel to sale and said this might be all we get this year.

 

[joel]

no bread in a Walmart or Kroger, it maybe because it is a holiday on Monday.

 

[INresponse]

I usually only go to the Family Dollar, because GF does the real shopping, but I have noticed that the bread section has been very limited. Sliced bread, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, all in very short supply.
I have also noticed that hamburger buns have gotten smaller in diameter, meaning that you are getting significantly less bread and they are expecting you to make your hamburger patties smaller. Maybe they are not charging more but they are giving you less for your money. They think you are too stupid to realize reality. Just like years ago when they made a half gallon of ice cream 3 pints, but still charged you the same. They think you are too stupid to realize you are getting screwed.

 

[Spikedriver]

Things generally look pretty solid in my area, lots better than a few months ago. I have a hard time finding my preferred hamburger buns (Pepperidge Farm 100% whole wheat) and my preferred breakfast cereal (Premier Protein chocolate almond). But those are types that aren't normally stocked in very much quantity anyway. Normal breakfast cereal and normal bread are well supplied and meat seems to be overflowing. I think the high costs of meat are cutting down on demand...

 

[Curmudgeon]

NO peanut butter, 2 weeks in a row now. When I do see some I will buy multiples to build my supply back up.

 

[Amish Heart]

I should of priced our neighbor's green beans, but didn't ask because I didn't need any. So she sells tomatoes for $2 a lb, beets for $2 a bunch of 10, or $20 a bushel (what I bought), and sweet corn for 50 cents a piece.

 

[goshengirl]

Kroger was completely empty of cotton balls, cotton pads, make-up rounds, very few off-brand q-tips. But over at Meijer (8 miles away) they were fully stocked, product deep on the shelves.
So it can still be inconsistent from place to place.

 

[TeeJ]

This week's shopping found sausage almost non existent, bread thinner but still there - although the gluten free loaf I get is now over $7 ea! Produce and meat were there, but both thinner supply and lower quality than you'd expect...

 

[Tommyice]

Just got back from a grocery store haven’t been to in a while. It’s much further from my home but we were over in that area at Harbor freight. The shelves were very stocked and the meat cases were full, not overflowing, but full. Did notice that their canned vegetable area is a much shorter section than it used to be. They’ve done some rearranging since I was there last.

 

[Magpie]

Kroger was completely empty of cotton balls, cotton pads, make-up rounds, very few off-brand q-tips. But over at Meijer (8 miles away) they were fully stocked, product deep on the shelves.
So it can still be inconsistent from place to place.

We heard here there was going to be a shortage of most cotton products in the U.S. I was presuming it was staff shortages, in the UK there's an issue with not being able to get pickers for veg, due to visas/ covid/ etc so food is being ploughed back into the field.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I've been shopping at several stores and I have noticed that meats seem to come and go, fresh vegetables are a mixed bag too. Carrots seem to be in short supply, not out but the volume just keeps going down, what was a fully stocked 8' display of cooking carrots is now a poorly stocked 2' display, they have baby carrots, but not the whole cooking carrots. The nice thing is now you can pass another shopper without bumping carts, each isle must be at least a foot wider.

The whole thing makes me feel like we are slowly being taught to expect and accept low supplies while the prices keep increasing a little at a time and then pulling back, kind of like waves on the beach as the tied comes in, you don't really notice it till you're in over your head.

I feel like I must be paranoid because no one else seems to notice and everything within me is screaming it's about to get ugly... real ugly...

 

[Magus]

I just got a 3 Lb roast for less than ten bucks, it was delicious!

 

[zannej]

We've been having shortages on various groceries, bottled water, dog food, cat food, etc. I don't know if the stores are just not stocking fast enough or what. But whole aisles are almost empty most of the time. They no longer even carry some food products they used to carry.
Most places no longer have grilled chicken on the menu- its all breaded crap. The grilled chicken sandwiches at Wendy's is half the size it used to be. The fried chicken from a local place is also half the size it used to be.

 

[Magus]

And its going to stay that way even after the shortages end.

 

[UrbanHunter]

And its going to stay that way even after the shortages end.

My problem is that I do not think the shortages will end. I wanted to get some more seeds, but the ones I want at multiple suppliers are out of stock. The seed displays in the stores this year were about half of what they had been in previous years. Everything is slowly running out and no one appears to be working to stabilize the system. The price increases can be expected as supplies tighten up and if the supply chain does not rebound the prices will remain fixed at the higher levels.

I may just be getting weary of this long drawn out, dying on the vine, existence we seem to be caught up in....

 

[Magus]

Well, its going to get much worse before it gets better, But I feel in my heart of hearts we'll be rid of the rich white trash running the country now one day!

Go read the short story I posted in the library, you might like it, it might scare seven shades of crap out of you too. its all in how you look at it.

 

[Bacpacker]

My problem is that I do not think the shortages will end. I wanted to get some more seeds, but the ones I want at multiple suppliers are out of stock. The seed displays in the stores this year were about half of what they had been in previous years. Everything is slowly running out and no one appears to be working to stabilize the system. The price increases can be expected as supplies tighten up and if the supply chain does not rebound the prices will remain fixed at the higher levels.

I may just be getting weary of this long drawn out, dying on the vine, existence we seem to be caught up in....

I'm seeing similar stuff around here. Lowes has already removed their seed sales area, plants are dwindling to. Some of the catalog companies have lots of holes. But then I think harvest isn't in yet to resupply for next year. It bears keeping a close eye on.

 

[Tommyice]

Our Lowe’s had removed the seed display about a month ago. I haven’t been to the garden section outside in a while so I don’t know how they look. My small nursery he still has a good seed display. In fact his is up all year long—I bought things in the middle of December.

Yesterday at work (retail chain pharmacy) three patients commented to me about how empty our shelves look. They are not that empty. But I was just shocked that three people commented.

We are having trouble getting a few medications, but none of them are maintenance meds.

 

[joel]

I just ordered seeds from Trueleaf, an on line seed store & they are on the way.

 

[Amish Heart]

Tractor still has their seed racks up, but maybe about 3/4 empty. What they do have in seed is 25% off their high price. Some of the weird greens I tried growing this year...the giant spinach, giant kale, tatsoi greens, and another weird type...the ones that did really well, I already ordered more seed of (from Baker Creek)

 

[Bacpacker]

Our TSC still has their seeds out. I didn't look very close to see what all they had.
Baker Creek had a lot of holes in their stock. Fillaree Farms (garlic) had even more.

 

[Magpie]

I've heard muttering of bad seed quality here - hard to know if its true. Certainly I had a few things that didn't seem to come up, but then I realised the slugs are eating everything and I'm wondering if that's part of the issue. I ordered extra seeds from an Iirsh company that does small amounts if you need them, which is great for trying out new types. The turnip seed has come up very quickly.
On the shortage side of things it occurs to me certain brands of bagels have been gone a while.

 

[joel]

Our TSC still has their seeds out. I didn't look very close to see what all they had.
Baker Creek had a lot of holes in their stock. Fillaree Farms (garlic) had even more.

I ordered Fillaree Farms Garlic in the Spring to be delivered in the Fall.

 

[UrbanHunter]

I just ordered seeds from Trueleaf, an on line seed store & they are on the way.

Thanks! I just ordered some of the things I have been looking for from them. Thanks again...

 

[Balletomane]

I ordered a couple of flower seed pkts from Baker Creek and they didn't come up at all. Ordered many garden seeds from TrueLeafMarket.com and only about a third are doing OK. SMH. I'm an average gardener. Don't know what's up. Have never had this bad of a garden before.

 

[joel]

I have enough seeds for the next two years, most are from Totally Tomatoes, Hoss & Trueleaf. I planted some this year & wll plant more in the Fall & next Spring.

 

[LadyLocust]

I ordered a couple of flower seed pkts from Baker Creek and they didn't come up at all. Ordered many garden seeds from TrueLeafMarket.com and only about a third are doing OK. SMH. I'm an average gardener. Don't know what's up. Have never had this bad of a garden before.

Hi there @Balletomane That seems unusual for those companies. There is a garden thread. If you have specifics, there are some pretty knowledgeable folks there - might be able to help you out.

 

[angie_nrs]

I stopped at the local grocery store yesteday and there were big holes in the bakery shelves. The produce area also had a lot of holes, but the prices are insane so maybe they're just not stocking as much. It's definitely way different than it used to be......sadly so.

When I went to a big box store last week, products were pulled to the front of the shelves. I grabbed 2 boxes of crackers and left a hole in that spot, although there were still more boxes on the shelf it certainly wasn't overloaded. Usually those crackers are stocked to the rafters.

We went to a little store we go to a few times per year that is out of the way. We were in the area and decided to visit their deli and grab their 25 wing ding box. The last time we were there last fall it was $17.99. I asked the lady if they still had their 25 wings b/c it wasn't on their board anymore. She said yes......but the price was $42. We took a hard pass on that.

The whole thing makes me feel like we are slowly being taught to expect and accept low supplies while the prices keep increasing a little at a time and then pulling back, kind of like waves on the beach as the tied comes in, you don't really notice it till you're in over your head.

I too think we are being conditioned (gaslit) into accepting these new shortages and prices. Even though I don't accept them, what are ya gonna do? I've prepared and gardened the best that I can. When things really start going south, I just hope we can get through it. With all the food facilities being destroyed and animals being needlessly killed, it's going to have an impact. It's not by accident. Something is going on.

 

[goshengirl]

@Balletomane, I have heard that Baker Creek has had some issues with seed viability this year. They are a good company - it's just an eye-opener: we are all vulnerable. You might want to let them know what happened so that they know what seeds are impacted. The more information they have, the more likely they can get to the bottom of this.