I went art supply shopping today after a conversation with a colleague who had told me the night before the had issues ordering some basic art supplies from one of the largest art supply chains in Europe.
When I arrived at large competing art supply chain, I was greeted with the reality of the situation.
There are still things to purchase. It's not that the store is empty, but it is obvious that certain items are sold out, sometimes leaving large gaps.
I inquired with one of the sales people about the situation, and she informed me that many companies were having delivery problems because of the current restrictions we are seeing globally. When prompted, she also conceded that some of the companies themselves are having issues with supply of the raw materials for their products.
My buying spree at the end of last year, no longer seemed so indulgent, and now sensible foresight.
When this current global situation started, you know what I am referring to, within the first couple of months I noticed a few brands in the supermarket gone, never to return. It could have been a Brexit thing.
But as 2020 marched on, and businesses had to remain closed, I noticed here and there empty shop fronts. Progressively over time a handful more, here and there as the restrictions ground on, to now where around the corner local businesses, having long been in the neighbourhood before me are now shuttered.
I think I will start stockpiling a few other things in the meantime, because in my estimation, after all of my research, this thing is not going to end any time soon and only deepen.
A positive in all of this? I guess I do get to fawn over new art supplies. 😀
How is it for you in your corner of your world?
Are you starting to notice things disappearing or being hard to come by?
Hey Leo! Wo warst einkaufen? Ich war neulich beim Boesner, es ist alles bum- voll! Liebe Grüsse!
Hi Vesna! 😀
Ich war einkaufen bei Gersteaker. Die Kathrina hat Probleme mit Bestellung bei Boesner in Deutschland.
Ah so, ok., hier geht noch. Wahrscheinlich sind die Leute im Versand auch überlastet. ..
In beiden Fälle, die Verkäufer sagt es liegt an die Lieferung. Es momentan ein Katastrof ist. Von meine eigene Erfahrung, Ich stimme dazu. Wann ich liefer meine Kunstwerke ausserhalb der EU, da gibt keine Garantie wann es zugestellt ist.
That looks like the ammo shelves at gun stores for the last 10 months. It's been in short supply and the supply has become even shorter in the last few months. I'm not sure if supply of raw materials is an issue, as ammo manufacturers have actually made videos telling their customers the shortage isn't a conspiracy and they're doing round-the-clock shifts to make more.
When it comes to ammo, shortages lead to people buying everything they can when available which leads to shortages. And we saw the same thing with toilet paper last spring. Maybe it's a universal thing, and shortages of many things will lead to hoarding them, until the hoarding stops and everyone has a garage full of toilet paper, ammunition, art supplies, and Twinkies :)
Yes, it was funny in the beginning seeing people horde toilet paper... unless you ran out yourself that is. 😖
However, I can tell you from personal experience there now logistic problems, which in turn of course means there are supply chain problems. The transport / shipping networks have slowed down to a viscous tempo.
Before all of this I shipped my artwork to the US, 7 - 9 work days. It now takes 1.5 - 3 months, and that is with air priority! I was eventually informed that it could be possible to get it there on time if I paid the most expensive rate, three times that of "priority"... but still no certain guarantee, but it would get there faster.
Shipping to the UK is now problematic because of Brexit and the restrictions. What previously took 5 work days now takes a month.
Within the EU, there is still one company that I find reliable and can still deliver on time because they are transporting via road.
The problems arise when anything has to be freighted by air or sea. The era of budget airlines was possible because the aircraft also carried freight and mail. Now with travel restrictions the number of flights have been drasticly reduced, meaning less freight travelling via air.
Compounding delays further are restrictions placed upon workers for "health" reasons. For instance in Vienna the backlog of mail to be sent via air, meant that pallets of mail were left out in the rain.
Sea freight has also slowed to the point the shipping companies are now selling their older ships, which are in perfect working order, for scrap because they can't afford to have them sitting idle. The ships are now worth more as scrap steel because of the massive demand for steel in China for their road building boom.
Why are Billions of Dollars Worth of Ships Being Intentionally Destroyed?
World trade is not like a light switch that can be turned on and off. The impact of these current restrictions will multiply the longer they go on.
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