FTC orders Walmart, Amazon, Kroger and more to turn over information on empty shelves, high prices
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Food is necessary for my family's survival and good health, so I have kept a close eye on the supply chain disruptions since the early days of the pandemic. It takes me only a couple of minutes a week to look over the posted pictures and read through the info the watch groups. I also have family and friends sharing what they see missing from shelves in our region of the country. This information has allowed me to help people who are dependent on certain products. I am an old-fashioned gal who believes in keeping a well-stocked pantry, so my household has done very well.
I have not seen widespread outages of nutritious food in the supply chain watch groups. What I am seeing is a short duration of sporadic shortages. Most of the shortages are convenience and processed foods. There has also been less of a choice in specific flavors and brands on some items. One area might be hit hard this week, but next week they have plenty in stock.
While certain processed foods are short in many areas, nutritious food can be found in a community, most of the time. When meat, dairy, or produce is limited in one store, it can be found in an abundance by going to a store down the road.
Now, that is generally speaking. There have been a few areas that have had shortages for weeks on a specific type of meat, dairy, or produce, but other nutritious options are always available there or elsewhere nearby. I have also seen some grocery stores that were shockingly bare for a week or a few weeks, but they were not like that for a lengthy period. I have studied other nations with significant food shortages and so far, I do not see anything that has me overly concerned. But, I will continue to monitor the situation.
My region is fairly insulated from the shortages, but we have seen some empty shelves and some hard-hit stores. It hasn't been anything as drastic as the pictures I've seen of other areas though. We have also seen a few specific things completely out of stock for months at a time like a particular cleaner I use. No biggie. I used something else. The imported sauce my family loves in the size I need has not been in stock in our local stores for months. I could buy a smaller size if I wanted. Instead, I ordered it online in bulk (12 quart-sized bottles) and will restock our dwindling supply in the pantry. That sauce and the cleaner are wants, not true necessities.
Clint recently said our local Family Dollar looked shockingly barren on his last visit, but the other stores in the area have plenty on the shelves. My three youngest daughters just went shopping for clothing, coats, and shoes and had no problems getting what they needed.
I am not trying to downplay anyone's concerns about the supply chain issues. I know there are some bad, bad snarls in some product lines and in some industries. However, no one in our nation is starving because of the supply chain problem. People might not get what they want, but everyone seems to be getting what they need. Rising prices are more of a burden on our citizenry than supply chain issues. THAT has me very concerned, especially for our elderly population.
While no one in my family is on Rx meds, this is a concern for extended family and friends: https://www.drugs.com/drug-shortages/
