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Retailers warn that certain categories, such as men’s fashion, could experience shortages of some brands during the upcoming holiday shopping season due to the impact of the coronavirus on supply chains.
Retail Excellence, an industry group with more than 2,000 members, says independent retailers may have a difficult time this Christmas obtaining stock from some of the major international fashion brands whose production was affected earlier this year by the closure of Covid-related factories in Asia and Europe.
The organization says some fashion brands also canceled large production orders at their factories when economic uncertainty from the virus outbreak was at its peak. As sales have since recovered, this has forced some brands to start rationing supply for their own retail networks, limiting supply to independent stores.
It is understood that a global menswear brand has told independent Irish retailers that they would only receive 30% of their orders for the holiday season. Other big brands have canceled orders from retailers entirely.
Duncan Graham, the lobbyist’s chief executive, said some retailers were now catching up as well after their shoppers acted conservatively while the economic impact of the virus was still being measured.
“When buyers placed orders at the beginning of the year, they were very cautious,” he said. “This will lead to a shortage of stocks, although we hope it is not a huge amount.”
Hardware
Outside of the fashion realm, retailers in sectors such as hardware are also warning of looming shortages of stocks, especially in everyday products that rely on components such as metals processed in Chinese factories.
United Hardware, a buying group of more than 150 Irish hardware stores, says its network sales are “going strong” during the pandemic.
“However, we are beginning to see consumer demand being undermined by lower availability of certain products,” said Paul Candon, CEO of United Hardware. “Production of suppressed production has started among some suppliers combined with a shortage of core component materials in everyday products, from tools to electronics. […]to impact supply chains in the foreseeable. “
Mr. Graham said he would encourage Irish shoppers to do their Christmas shopping earlier this year to ensure access to certain brands, but also to help “spread the load” with social distancing.
There is a fear of how to control the crowds of shoppers on popular streets and in shopping malls that are traditionally a feature of the December season. He said some retailers would lengthen shopping hours to facilitate commerce and ease congestion.
“We need to encourage shoppers to enter the stores early this Christmas. We need to extend it. It’s one thing for people to queue outside in July. It’s different to do it on a rainy day in December. “
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