TIP What I've noticed at work.

S

Sterling

Contributing Member
Not only is our store shelves getting baren, but it's the whole district... We're out of innocuous things... 3" deck screws, or certain door handles, or saw horses... Or even big ticket items are being delayed, appliances being the biggest.
Oh and if you need a window AC unit we will not be receiving anymore until next season as the system has us pegged as end of season.
So if you need anything try and stock up on it, and be nice to the lowly paid people that work there, they have no control when its showing up, if ever.
Just my TIP for the day.

(I did have one shocked customer say "this has been there plan since this corona virus came out, to crash the economy")
 
Macgyver

Macgyver

Has No Life - Lives on TB
There is a little appliance store near my house. There delivery time is right around when I go to work.
They are getting mountains of stuff delivered every few days. The place is in the little town and they literally unload them into the street till they are stuffed inside or loaded on their truck and taken to a barn at the owners house.

Me thinks the big box places cut there orders back and now their regretting it.
 
S

Sterling

Contributing Member
We only carry displays and maybe a few low end appliances... So when you buy it you're ordering it from the manufacturers, for an example freezers were supposed to start coming back on our shelves in June, the reasoning according to the manufacturer was a part delay from China and so they couldn't finish production... That has now been delayed again to past August, we have no control over it, and the customers want their stuff yesterday, the lucky ones get it within a couple of weeks.
 
lonestar09

lonestar09

Veteran Member
Well walmart around here is loading up with school supplies for back to school. There are still a lot of open spaces in the school supply section
 
S

Sterling

Contributing Member
Also forgot to mention that it isn't just the system hasn't ordered it. (The way that works is when a product is zero it flags that we need to order product and it gets ordered automatically, it will also order product periodically on a review basis... When the product is ordered it goes pending, example 9 pending, all that means is the system is aware we are out and has stepped into line for product. It depends on how often you sell it, how big of a store/market you are, etc and thats how quickly it will change from pending to shipping. So if youre a smaller store with less market share you're towards the back of the line.)
There is messages attached to the SKU some mention things like "delay due to Covid-19" or one product we had said it had shipped from the DLC and was supposed to show up within a few days, after it was supposed to arrive i scanned it again, and it said "shippping delay at manufacturer" so it hadn't even reached the DLC yet.
 
S

Squid

Veteran Member
Recently completed dishwasher shopping. Lots of models out of stock or backordered. The sales person wasn’t expecting the backorders showing an available date to actually be delivered on the date in the computer.

Picking one became more of what is in their warehouse now and choosing from what is actually available.

I think even for appliances made in the US there are issue’s with foreign sourced components and parts that is making production scheduling a nightmare.
 
Jeff B.

Jeff B.

Don’t let the Piss Ants get you down…
Sterling said:
Not only is our store shelves getting baren, but it's the whole district... We're out of innocuous things... 3" deck screws, or certain door handles, or saw horses... Or even big ticket items are being delayed, appliances being the biggest.
Oh and if you need a window AC unit we will not be receiving anymore until next season as the system has us pegged as end of season.
So if you need anything try and stock up on it, and be nice to the lowly paid people that work there, they have no control when its showing up, if ever.
Just my TIP for the day.

(I did have one shocked customer say "this has been there plan since this corona virus came out, to crash the economy")
Click to expand...

You make a good point. I believe that most folks working retail/grocery are there because they need the job... and that doesn't include a ration of garbage from people disappointed and frustrated by not being able to get something.

And, as I've said before, common courtesy goes a long way in smoothing waters and establishing mutual goodwill.

Doesn't cost much, either! ;)

Jeff B.
 
lonestar09

lonestar09

Veteran Member
Look at it this way. Anything that most people did that they paid someone before to do and is home related has probably been taken over by the homeowner now. because they are stuck at home now or they out of a job.
 
M

mikeabn

Finally not a lurker!
This is probably like preaching to the choir but may I suggest checking your local free and for sale sites? Saw a freezer being given away. I could use a back up. Saw a ref being given away also and a couple of a/c units.
 
psychgirl

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
We have an ongoing “project” here at home. Long story short, our front porch had damage from gutter run off... then chipmunks got in there and dug dirt away yada yada.. hub has been digging out the bad part and then shoring the steps up with concrete blocks underneath it....well, anyway, im sure my explanation is terrible but the Lowe’s and those places here have been out of basic blocks and the heavy boards (?) he needs to finish it for a month.

He finally got more blocks but now I’m worried the porch will collapse until he can get it fixed.

Seems just basic stuff is in high demand.
 
S

Sterling

Contributing Member
Yeah, lumber is hit and miss like everything else. I don't think it's all homeowners just buying it up, it's the ability to get the product... Sure there was a rush back in March/April but this isn't the lingering after effects from that I don't think.
We're also out of things like hardware cloth, have been since April... I know a lot of customers coming in were building chicken coops and rabbit hutches. If you wanted to now? Sorry Charlie...
 
KMR58

KMR58

Veteran Member
Squid said:
Recently completed dishwasher shopping. Lots of models out of stock or backordered. The sales person wasn’t expecting the backorders showing an available date to actually be delivered on the date in the computer.

Picking one became more of what is in their warehouse now and choosing from what is actually available.

I think even for appliances made in the US there are issue’s with foreign sourced components and parts that is making production scheduling a nightmare.
Click to expand...

Our dishwasher died last weekend. Tried to buy at different stores. Delivery dates were near the end of August but that was an estimate and not to be counted on. I finally was able to buy a floor model at ABC warehouse. Guy said it was the third floor model dishwasher that day. The store had a ton of empty slots.
 
Ku Commando

Ku Commando

Inactive
Luddite said:
Made two trips into Sam's Club, 2 weeks apart. No cordless phones either time.

Lightning got mine. You'd think the world had ended because I pulled out the old corded models.
Click to expand...


Corded or cordless........sounds to me like you got a LANDLINE.

Good on you.......I quit carryin' a cellfone when I retired 10 yrs ago.
 
Kayak

Kayak

Adrenaline Junkie
We ordered a new bed from a furniture store back in early May. Due to covid, it wasn't scheduled for delivery until July (they make it when you order it, but it's usually only two or three weeks). Mid June, we got a text saying delivery would be July 7th. Another text came on July 3rd saying it would deliver AFTER July 30th and they'd contact us to set up a delivery date once one was known. Then we got a text a few days ago saying delivery on July 17th. So... uggg. Who knows. This is for a graduation gift, so it's frustrating, but nothing to be done about it. The factory is in North Carolina, and you wouldn't think a bed would have parts from China.
 
tiredude

tiredude

Veteran Member
Txkstew said:
Next week is National Diarrhea Awareness Week. It runs through next Saturday.
Click to expand...
Close....... I offered on a video conference to send a work mate a confederate flag for his minneopolis home........it got really quiet.....you could here a pin drop........i guess i wasnt meant to be a comedian......
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

Has No Life - Lives on TB
psychgirl said:
We have an ongoing “project” here at home. Long story short, our front porch had damage from gutter run off... then chipmunks got in there and dug dirt away yada yada.. hub has been digging out the bad part and then shoring the steps up with concrete blocks underneath it....well, anyway, im sure my explanation is terrible but the Lowe’s and those places here have been out of basic blocks and the heavy boards (?) he needs to finish it for a month.

He finally got more blocks but now I’m worried the porch will collapse until he can get it fixed.

Seems just basic stuff is in high demand.
Click to expand...

We have the same basic project going on, except it's with our back deck. Cary has been taking the old material up, and I'm concerned that treated decking material will be in short supply, once he's ready for it. He looked online at our local Lowe's, and they said they had what he needed in stock. That remains to be seen.
 
20Gauge

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
Luddite said:
Made two trips into Sam's Club, 2 weeks apart. No cordless phones either time.

Lightning got mine. You'd think the world had ended because I pulled out the old corded models.
Click to expand...
We had to put special surge suppressors on our house at the breaker and each major electrical appliance. We lost both the fridge and stove to lightning.
 
N

NCGirl

Veteran Member
Kayak said:
We ordered a new bed from a furniture store back in early May. Due to covid, it wasn't scheduled for delivery until July (they make it when you order it, but it's usually only two or three weeks). Mid June, we got a text saying delivery would be July 7th. Another text came on July 3rd saying it would deliver AFTER July 30th and they'd contact us to set up a delivery date once one was known. Then we got a text a few days ago saying delivery on July 17th. So... uggg. Who knows. This is for a graduation gift, so it's frustrating, but nothing to be done about it. The factory is in North Carolina, and you wouldn't think a bed would have parts from China.
Click to expand...
Family in the furniture business in High Point NC for generations. Furniture used to actually be made in NC from start to finish but most of it is now imported no matter if they say they have a factory in NC or not...perhaps they put a few finishes on it here, but the rest is imported. Almost without exception, unless you are spending many thousands on a bed, it is being imported.
 
Hermantribe

Hermantribe

Veteran Member
I can't find hot dog sauce (for chili dogs) at any local Waddlemart. It's been months. Can't have a chili dog without it! I'm suffering, I tell ya! And a certain HP black ink cartridge is nowhere to be found. good thing I can get them refilled at Costco.
 
S

Sterling

Contributing Member
Dennis Olson said:
I remember when phones were hardwired into the wall. The phone company came out and installed them.
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My dad told me a story from a friend of his who worked at Bell... An old lady who lived in her house all her life was finally moving in with her children, and in these days the phone company owned your phone, so she calls to disconnect the service and what would you like done with the phone?. Guy working there says to disconnect the phone and bring it in to the office. She replies that it is hardwired into the wall. Guy thinks about it for a moment and tells her just to take as much line out of the wall and cut it with a pair of scissors. Later that day the old lady comes in with this really old phone and a bunch of phone line wrapped around it, apparently she went all the way to the telephone pole with it before she gave up and cut it.
Needless to say, they were not ammused.
 
Laurane

Laurane

Canadian Loonie
My cell phone signal is so weak, that I am happy I have a wired-in landline, so I can hear who's calling. Going to do it on the next house too.
 
Limner

Limner

Deceased
We've run into this. Our Ninja blender gave up the ghost yesterday. Went online, and the equivalent one (110 wats, a pretty popular model) was no where to be found. We need a STURDY one. A family member found us a factory refurbished VitaMix on Amazon. You can get the wimpy blenders all day long, but for sunflower seed butter, you need serious power. But it felt very odd.
 
J

Just Plain Mom

Alien Lizard Person
I'm not sure if this is related, but Trucker Son is on the road again with a trainee. They're in the first part of training, where Trainee drives and he coaches/teaches. So they're stopping every evening at truck stops. (I don't want to give the impression that Trainee doesn't know how to drive; he spent a week in class and on a simulator, then another week with Son driving around town and practicing all types of parking before Son was happy and confident to take him on the road.)

He says the truck stops are lean. Normally in this situation, he'd be a little tense when they're shutting down for the night, and perhaps even reserve a spot depending on the time frame. But...there is a lot of parking, he says. I didn't get any more because he had to go get something to eat before the only restaurant/take out closed up. No more all-night or even late evening available.
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
20Gauge said:
We had to put special surge suppressors on our house at the breaker and each major electrical appliance. We lost both the fridge and stove to lightning.
Click to expand...
uhhh.......It just occurred to me.....what would happen if lightning hit a PROPANE GAS STOVE??? It has an electric plug for the little electric gas igniters. :eek:
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Profit of Doom said:
You have matches, don’t you?
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I'm not worried about blowing out the little igniters, I am worried about blowing out ainitfunny thru a wall. Would it matter if the gas was on or off when a lightning bolt struck? I just don't wanna get "raptured" up to heaven before everyone else does. :strs:
I figger it would be impolite to not wait for the gates to be open before I get shot through them? ;):flngl:
 
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