In recent months, a handful of mainstream products have become harder to find, and more may be added to the list.
FOX Business looks at the crisis facing consumers.
Buffers
A spokesperson for Tampax, which is owned by P&G, told FOX Business in a statement that this is “a temporary situation, and the Tampax team is producing tampons 24/7 for meet the increased demand for our products”.
The company says it’s working with retail partners to maximize availability, which it says “has increased significantly over the past few months.”
However, social media users have taken notice.
“Is there a shortage of tampons or what?” Just been to five different Walgreens and the shelves are CLEAR,” one Twitter user said.
Walgreens told FOX Business it was working with its suppliers to ensure its stores had supplies available.
“However, like other retailers, we are experiencing temporary shortages of brand-specific pads in certain geographies,” the company said. “While we continue to have products on shelves and online, it may only be in specific brands as we navigate the supply disruption.”
CVS also told FOX Business that there have been “instances where suppliers have not been able to fulfill all orders placed” in recent weeks, but that the company is working with “suppliers to ensure we have an adequate supply of tampons in our stores.”
The company added that if a store is temporarily out of specific products, it will “work to restock those items as quickly as possible.”
Baby formula
Parents don’t get much respite as the stock-out rate for infant formula reached 73% nationwide for the week ending May 29, according to the data firm’s most recent data. on Datasembly retail. This is a significant increase from earlier this month, when the national infant formula stock-out rate stood at 45%.
Retailers have been forced to impose purchase limits on products as shelves remain empty.
The Abbott Nutrition factory in Sturgis, Michigan, which has exacerbated the industry-wide shortage, restarted production on June 4. However, infant formula from the factory won’t return to stores until at least mid-July, according to the company’s production schedule.
In May, President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to speed up production of infant formula and authorized flights to import supplies from overseas to help parents in desperate need.
Hot sauce
In April, Huy Fong Foods, Inc., the nation’s top sriracha sauce maker, sent a letter to customers about an impending shortage, which would directly impact retailers and restaurants.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that there is an unprecedented shortage of our products,” Huy Fong Foods told Fox News Digital in an email.
“We are still working to resolve this issue which has [been] caused by several spiraling events, including an unexpected crop failure of the spring chili crop,” the email continues. “We look forward to a successful fall season and thank our customers for their patience and continued support during this difficult time.”
According to Huy Fong Foods, the problems started in July 2020, when the company began to experience a shortage of chili stocks. The shortage has worsened in recent months after poor weather conditions adversely affected chili crops this year.
Bottles of wine
According to Eat This, Not That, a shortage of glass bottles is still ongoing.
Supply chain company Resilinc told FOX Business that “the cost of glass bottles has increased by 20%, mainly due to the shortage of raw materials needed to manufacture glass.”
Due to “raw material constraints, logistical issues and inflation, winemakers may be forced to pass the costs on to consumers,” the company added.
However, this will depend on the size of the operation.
“Larger wineries with deeper pockets and longer turnaround times for orders don’t feel the impact as much,” the company said. “Small wineries that have less purchasing power may be affected differently. While they don’t necessarily want to pass on 100% of the costs incurred to consumers, they will likely have to raise prices while further reducing profits. »
“Three years ago it was our beer and wine cans, now they are the real bottles,” Matthew Moersch, CEO of Moersch Hospitality Group, told WSBT 22.
Beverages
According to Boxed CEO Chieh Huang, there could be more trouble on the horizon.
“This summer, I think in beverages, you’re going to start to see some sort of price increase or shortages just because…already these factories are pumping it out at capacity. You add the increased summer demand, we don’t know where it’s going to go,” Huang said. Varney & Co. earlier this month.
Cortney Moore of FOX Business and Associated Press contributed to this report.
