Consequences of delivery bottlenecks: everything that has become scarce

Months of waiting for the new washing machine or branded bicycle – consumers clearly feel the consequences of disrupted supply chains. Which products are particularly affected?

Anyone who currently wants to buy a game console has to be patient – or persistent. Because of the delivery bottlenecks and the lack of chips, the manufacturers Sony and Microsoft cannot meet the demand for the popular Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles. “If we put them in again, they’ll be sold out within three or four minutes,” says a spokesman for mail order company Otto.

The Sony Playstation 5 is currently not available on the Amazon shopping site. The console is also only available in limited contingents at MediaMarkt Saturn. Middlemen sell the few available models at a hefty markup. Tips are given in Internet forums as to which dealers have the best chance of getting hold of one of the coveted devices in the event of a delivery.

The problems with stagnant logistics chains and missing components have gripped entire industries – and the consequences are becoming increasingly noticeable for consumers. Four out of five manufacturers of electronic products in Germany are currently unable to keep up with production, according to a survey by the Ifo Institute. That’s more than ever. In online retail, in hardware stores, electronics stores and even at discount stores, many products are not available at short notice – be it printers, PC cards, lawn mowers, washing machines or bicycles.

Aldi promotional goods are late

When Aldi-Süd recently warned that promotional goods might not be available in time, the discounter justified this with the temporary closure of the Yantian port in China. Due to a corona outbreak, the fourth largest container port in the world was completely closed in June. Since the beginning of August, the world’s largest container port Ningbo-Zhousan near Shanghai in China has also been partially shut down – also due to Corona. Dozens of container ships are waiting to be processed, which has exacerbated global supply chain problems. According to the Institute for the World Economy, traffic jams in Chinese ports mean that five percent of all container ship capacities have been tied up.

International container shipping has already been hindered several times this year. In the spring, the wrecked freighter “Ever Given” blocked the Suez Canal for several days. Container ships jammed, deliveries were delayed, and the effects could be felt for weeks.

The range of laptops and routers thinned out

Consumers are currently feeling the consequences of delivery problems with laptops, printers and Internet routers. In electronics stores such as MediaMarkt Saturn, the range of laptops and printers has thinned out noticeably. Certain wireless routers that are often used for the home office are also in short supply at the moment. The manufacturer AVM, which offers one of the most popular WLAN routers in Germany with the Fritzbox, reported on canceled delivery commitments for components. “Welt am Sonntag” reported that AVM had to wait up to a year for newly ordered goods.

Gigaset complained of similar problems. The manufacturer of cordless telephones, for example, claims to suffer from extended delivery times and replacement times of up to 60 weeks. A good 80 percent of Gigaset products are affected by the semiconductor shortage.

Waiting for the washing machine

In the meantime, the semiconductor crisis has also gripped the household appliance industry. For example, certain branded washing machines can only be ordered with long waiting times. The manufacturer Miele has reduced its production due to missing components and sent part of its workforce on short-time work. According to its own statements, the household appliance manufacturer lacks electrical parts to control the machines.

There are also currently delays in delivery of tumble dryers, refrigerators and lawnmowers. The entire area of ​​so-called “white goods” is affected by the lack of chips, says McKinsey consultant Ondrej Burkacky. The situation could worsen over the next few months. Since many companies produced refrigerators or lawnmowers in stock, delivery bottlenecks became apparent after three to nine months. That means: Certain household appliances could be particularly scarce at Christmas.

Bicycle market will not return to normal until 2024?

Even at the furniture chain Ikea, the global supply chain problems are visible. Certain desks and the popular Billy shelves were recently partly out of stock, which has to do with the problems on the wood market. Large capacities have failed in Canada, and Russia is considering a ban on exports of raw wood. Timber prices skyrocketed.

Customers still need a lot of patience, especially in bicycle shops. Some bikes can only be delivered months late. “Some dealers are still waiting for up to 40 percent of the bikes that they ordered in 2020,” said Hans-Peter Obermark from the Funke Media Group’s Association of German Two-Wheeler Trade. The industry does not expect normalization until 2024.