Uh Oh! Why Do We Have Empty Shelves in the Capital Region Again?

Have you noticed a lack of inventory at the local grocery store lately? I first noticed when we were looking for specific beverages and we couldn't find them. I asked a manager at Hannaford Supermarket and was told, this is just the start and it could get worse. Fast-forward to this morning and the toilet paper is now starting to disappear, AGAIN!

The return of empty shelves is a real thing and it's not necessarily due to "panic buying". According to Bloomberg, the supply chains are clogged from the factories that make the products all the way to grocery stock rooms. Once everyone notices the shortage we will most likely see bulk-hoarding once again here in the Capital Region.

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Grocery stores are not the only retailer seeing less inventory on the shelves. ABC7 New York reports that there are dozens of cargo ships off the coast of New York that are unable to dock due to a lack of workers. Even if they could dock, there aren't enough workers to unload and transport the items to the stores. This could end up being an issue for holiday gifts, food, hardware, alcohol and more.

Here in the Capital Region the shortage is being felt with several different products. For example, alcohol. News10 ABC discovered that, in some cases, people are heading up from downstate as well as out of state to purchase liquor in bulk. What does all of this mean for the months to come? It is difficult to say with accuracy but it does look as though a variety of items could be scarce for the foreseeable future.