MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Heads up holiday shoppers: we may still be weeks away from Thanksgiving, but those at Memphis-area businesses are worried certain things won't be in stock if you wait too long into December to check off your lists.
ABC24 learned due to the international supply chain crisis, the owner at one longtime retailer, TNC Sports in Bartlett, started buying up stock earlier than before.
Owner Mike Stramel took those extra precautions, worried customers who wait too close to Christmas this year may be out of luck for popular items such as blankets or jackets for certain teams.
"If it's here today, gone tomorrow, it's not going to be here a second time. They've got one shot to get what they see," Stramel said.
With sporting apparel product delays on ships from China impacting holiday inventory, Stramel made adjustments.
"Things that we wait on, they are on those containers (on the Pacific Ocean)," Stramel added.
The owner said some products, such as drinking mugs or steering wheels of certain NFL teams, were as much as six weeks behind schedule. That's why Stramel and staff began stocking, and overstocking, for the holidays starting August 1st.
"We said 'we need to get everything we can in the door as quick as we can and basically be wrapped by December 1st'," Stramel said.
Even though Stramel is prepared more than ever ahead of the holidays, it also comes a price.
"If if costs me to get it in the door, it's going to cost me to get it out the door," Stramel said.
The owner said higher expenses higher up on the supply and shipping chain will be passed down to shoppers at most retailers, potentially as high as 10% on certain products.
"You try to be as fair as you can, you know. Someone told me the other day, 'you went up on this' and I said politely, 'have you been to the gas pump lately? We are all experiencing these price increases'," Stramel said.