Purchasing management is a big part of my job. Everything is fucked, from paper supplies to food.
Companies like mine are making it worse in the short term too. We order more than we need because you cannot rely on the 'just in time' inventory model anymore. Warehousing is back.
Longer term we may see pressure on inventory reduced as companies and consumers build their own stock piles.
Cathie Wood has talked about this extensively. I tend to agree with this view.
*another thought to add...
Some companies are turning to air freight to avoid the shipping logjam. This is contributing to price increases and reduced profitable.
Back in the day houses were built with cold rooms for storing the root vegetables you couldn't buy from supermarkets during the long winter months. Jarred and canned preservatives were also very popular.
Warehousing at home.
My grandparents had a four year supply of food in their basement at all times.
They also had a huge garden in their backyard. Small houses, with large gardens.
I’ve been picking up packs of lids since they reappeared from the last run on anything canning related. Glad I did.
Yeah it was great. People didn't earn as much money back then, but they didn't spend very much either, in spite of the large families. They just made a lot more food at home, and there was always plenty to eat. A large feast, at least once every week. Family gatherings.
This is part of the secret behind the single wage earner family. Most of what they needed they provided for themselves, including clothing. Women made new clothing all the time. Bedding, curtains, etc, everything cloth related. Women also knew how to sew and knit.
Cars changed everything, but cars were not really commonly owned until well into the 1950's. People were very self sufficient until cars made it easy to go and get stuff. They had to be.
If we have to be again, we will be.
The funny part is, the more self sufficient they force us to be, the less control they have over us in the big picture.
We order more than we need because you cannot rely on the 'just in time' inventory model anymore.
And now it's obvious why (((they)) pushed business towards the "just in time" inventory model over the last few decades. They play the long game for sure.
idk if that makes sense.
Some manufacturing is returning to the US because of this.
Now if the problem accelerates to the point where people can't get basic food and goods. Then we have chaos.
(post is archived)