Aussies warned to start Christmas shopping early
Australians are being urged to start preparing for the festive season earlier than ever before.
Retailers are encouraging Aussies to start purchasing Christmas gifts now to avoid disappointment this December.
With the world of online shopping seeing an astronomical boom due to the pandemic, global retailers are struggling to get items to people on time.
This high demand has seen international supply chains experience massive delays in shipping goods around the country, as they battle to stay on top of the market.
Electronics and home goods are most likely to be affected by the ongoing backlog, with a slim chance of the issues being resolved by December.
Super Retail Group CEO Anthony Heraghty, whose company runs stores like Supercheap Auto, Rebel and BCF, says shoppers should be “getting in early” to guarantee their gifts arrive in time.
When speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald, he said large retailers have been forced to order stock eight to twelve months in advance to meet demand.
“If it’s not in the shed or on the shelf today, for Christmas this year I think the chances of it being [in stock] come that peak time is incredibly remote,” he said.
The limited stock and shipping congestion is being blamed on border closures, COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, freighter scarcity and a surge in online shopping during the pandemic.
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