Bacon, Eggs, And Toilet Paper: The Product Shortages Driving Up The Cost Of Household Essentials
In recent years, store shelves have become scarce with popular products that were once easy to find. Now, items such as chocolate, bicycles, and even hot dogs are going extinct due to mass shortages!
In the future, these upcoming items might all but disappear from retail and grocery stores around the country.
Chicken Wings
In 2021, a massive ice storm rocked Texas poultry farms. Sadly, the storm resulted in over a million chicks lost and a huge increase in chicken prices in grocery stores due to the lack of product.
In 2024, avian flu continued to impact chicken production, resulting in shortages and increased prices.
Shipping Containers
Thanks to Amazon and other online platforms, online shopping is at an all-time high. As a result of people saying goodbye to malls and hello to the wonderful world of internet shopping, international shipping containers are at a low.
Container companies can't keep up with the demand of shoppers, and there isn't enough space to place more containers on cargo ships.
Bicycles
In the past few years, people have decreased their use of public transportation and increased their exercise routines on commutes, including walking and riding a bike.
The sales of bicycles went up 121 percent, resulting in the delay in new bikes coming into retail stores and other shopping outlets.
Ketchup Packets
Hot dogs and ketchup come hand-in-hand for some people. So, while the demand for hot dogs has gone up, so has the need for ketchup, specifically ketchup packets found at fast-food restaurants.
Heinz, one of the leading ketchup brands, has increased their production of packets by nearly 25 percent to keep up with the demand of its consumers.
Chocolate
Have it be a Hershey's bar or some high-end piece of chocolate, the delectable treat is getting more and more difficult to find in the United States and worldwide. Sadly, the shortage is due to environmental damage to coca plants.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believe cocoa plants will be gone by 2050.
Bacon
With the increase in outdoor gatherings in recent years, the demand for bacon has risen to unimaginable heights. Weirdly enough, many people sought out bacon for their cookouts.
Due to the increase of people buying bacon, some stores are continuously finding themselves in a shortage of the popular breakfast food.
Hot Dogs
In recent years, more people have flocked to the grocery store to pick up packets of hot dogs. Even fast-food restaurants are stocking up more on this particular food item than they have in the past.
Due to the increased demand for hot dogs, manufacturers are having a difficult time keeping up.
Coffee
Despite a massive crop yield in Brazil, coffee is actually in short supply. This is because the increase in international shipping has led to decreased cargo space for items such as coffee.
One can only hope that in the next few years, more space will open up for the popular drink.
Lumber
People began seeing a shortage of lumber in 2020 when restaurants began building outdoor patios, and the housing market came to a halt. The latter resulted in a slowing down of lumber production and, therefore, a shortage.
Sadly, when people do find bits of lumber, the price is through the roof.
Aluminum Cans
In 2020, people began bulk-buying drinks in aluminum cans, including sodas and beers. Due to the increase in purchases, manufacturing companies began seeing a huge dip in their production, namely because there weren't enough cans to go around.
This is because the cost of aluminum skyrocketed, and producers couldn't keep up with the market.
Recliners
Recliner sales have been falling behind in recent years, with whole stores having massive blowout sales, hoping to get rid of their merchandise. Now, when people go shopping for recliners, they're finding that many of them are on massive backorder because they haven't been in demand.
Backorders have ranged from five to seven months!
Pet Food
More and more people have gone out and purchased a pet in recent years. While it is great people are adopting animals from shelters, it has resulted in a huge decrease of animal food to go around.
The thing is, pet ownership numbers are not going down either, so people might find difficulty finding specialty foods they'd typically purchase.
Suburban Homes
In recent years, many people have been leaving major cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Boston for less-crowded suburban areas and neighborhoods. Due to this, homes in those areas are scarce.
Now, housing prices have skyrocketed with the decrease in available homes and increased buyer's market. Hopefully, things change eventually.
Auto Parts
With about 12 percent of auto parts coming from China, car companies such as Nissan, Honda, and Mazda have all had to halt production a bit, waiting for parts to come into the United States.
While this is not relevant to all auto parts, there are some that are difficult to find, on backorder, and higher in price than in past years.
Rental Cars
At the beginning of 2020, many rental car companies opted to sell some of their cars, as no one was renting them, and they wanted to save money.
While the move most likely benefited the companies at the time, now it is resulting in a lack of available rental cars for the public.
Canned Goods
Starting at the beginning of 2020, people couldn't buy enough canned goods, stocking their homes with non-perishable items. The increased purchasing of this specific food has led to a decrease in canned goods on the shelves.
Companies can't keep up with consumers, and it doesn't look like it is going to change anytime soon.
Eggs
In 2021, it was announced there was a nationwide chicken shortage. While people probably thought solely about a decrease in chicken production, there was also a decrease in eggs.
Consumers are most likely seeing fewer eggs in stores as well as a significant price increase. According to the Department of Agriculture, egg prices are up a whopping 56%. The ongoing avian flu has also impacted egg production.
Toilet Paper
Since 2020, paper products such as toilet paper have been one of the most scarce items on store shelves.
According to Bloomberg, the shortage is in part due to people hoarding toilet paper but also because of shipping issues surrounding wood pulp, a crucial substance used to make toilet paper. Port strikes have also impacted shipping routes, resulting in a toilet paper shortage.
Chlorine
While chlorine might not affect many people, it is worth mentioning. After Hurricane Laura touched down in 2020 and set fire to a BioLab chemical plant, chlorine became a hot commodity since prices went through the roof.
Sadly, while that accident occurred in 2020, chlorine continues be in short supply in stores.
Sugar
According to Reuters, Brazil has been diverting its sugarcane to ethanol production in 2022 due to increased energy prices. This shift doesn't come without drawbacks, though.
The global sugar supply has suffered because of this, with sugar becoming a hot commodity in stores with an increased price tag to boot.
Garlic
According to an article from USA Today, about 60 percent of all garlic in the United States is imported from China. Unfortunately, this isn't good for those who like to put a bit of zest in their cooking, as shipping containers for international trade are few and far between.
Due to the shortage, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says garlic prices are up 30 percent!
Consumer Electronics
In recent years, the need to have the latest and greatest piece of technology has been the goal for a lot of people. The downside is now consumer electronics such as iPhones, laptops, and even TVs are back ordered due to shortages.
Not only that, but prices for some of these items have also gone up.
Garage Doors
One very random item that is difficult for builders to find right now is garage doors. Not only that, but when contractors can find the doors, the prices are outrageously high due to the demand.
According to a report from The New York Times, "the home building industry is having the most difficult time in decades meeting demand." One source went on to say, "garage doors are a nightmare ... [they] are the worst right now."
Toys
Shipping complications have made toys not only sell out faster than normal but also pricier than in the past.
CEOs of major toy companies have said consumers who want a popular toy are highly encouraged to get to the store or order one straight away, or else they will be waiting a long time for one to come in.
Furniture
People are still able to order furniture, and it is just going to take a couple of months for it to get to them, thanks to a shortage of pretty much everything.
According to personal finance expert Kimberly Palmer, "We're seeing shortages when it comes to materials for building homes and furniture because so many people have renovated as a result of spending so much time at home."
Potatoes
People can thank bad weather and supply chain disruptions for the potato shortage in the United States. Fast-food chains have even gone to great lengths to ensure they don't run out of product.
The potato shortage is expected to last well into 2025.
Cream Cheese
In 2021, Schreiber Foods was a victim of a cyberattack, resulting in the plant shutting down for several days and people seeing less and less cream cheese on shelves. As one of the largest cream cheese manufacturers in the country, the shortage was keenly felt.
This, coupled with a labor shortage and supply chain issues, cream cheese is still difficult to find in some areas.
Maple Syrup
There is such a maple syrup shortage that Canada went to NPR, telling the news source that they were going to release 50 million pounds of the country's "strategic reserves."
According to NPR, the amount is about half of the total stockpile. Sadly, production hasn't been able to keep up with the worldwide demand of maple syrup.
