We’ve seen the empty store shelves already. Because of the strike at the ports, there has been a run on paper goods and toiletries at warehouse stores such as Costco and grocery stores.
Here’s the deal: It’s a self-fulfilling shortage, one that has nothing to do with the strike by the International Longshoreman’s Association that has hampered the Port of New York and New Jersey and elsewhere.
The reason: These products don’t come on ships. So said Linda Doherty, CEO of the N.J. Food Council.
Linda Doherty of the New Jersey Food Council.
“The recent strike call at the ports along the Eastern Seaboard have caused an uptick in consumer purchasing of some products at the grocery store,” she said. “We are experiencing a higher demand on paper goods and toiletries. However, customers can be reassured these products are produced domestically and are not impacted by the strike.”
Doherty said this isn’t the case for all projects. For instance, tropical fruits, products that traditionally arrive through the local ports, could be affected by the strike, she said.
“However, grocers have been preparing for this action and have been working with their suppliers and local vendors to maintain a steady supply of produce and an assortment of fruit and vegetables,” she said.
Doherty said most everyday grocery and perishable products, such as paper goods, eggs, milk, bread, meat, bottled water and cleaning supplies are produced in the United States and not impacted by the strike.
“There is no need to overstock at home,” she said.
We’ve seen this movie before, Doherty said. There is no reason to panic shop.
“One thing we have learned from the COVID crisis, past product disruptions and now a port strike is we maintain a resilient supply chain that can adjust, adapt and replenish under challenging circumstances,” she said.
