Youve probably heard that holiday shopping will be a nightmare even the Grinch himself couldnt dream up.
Supply-chain troubles, shipping bottlenecks, and worker shortages will make it harder to find big-ticket items.
Meanwhile, demand is up.
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If you havent started your shopping yet, dont panic.
As long as youre flexible, youll surely be able to find plenty of gifts.
Gaming Consoles
The 2021 holiday season is shaping up to be a disappointing one for gamers.
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X remain hard to find nearly a year after their initial release.
The global chip shortage is just one factor.
Adding to the frustration is the fact that humans are increasingly competing with bots to buy in-demand consoles.
Then the bot-purchased gaming systems pop up at unofficial retailers at an exorbitant markup.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help…
Unfortunately, consoles will still be hard to find after the holidays.
Shortages are expected to continue into fall 2022 or even 2023.
Bicycles
COVID-19 shuttered gyms last year and caused most people to shun public transportation.
As a result, millions of non-cyclists rushed to buy new bicycles both for recreation andbike commuting.
Pre-pandemic, it took just 45 days.
Many in the bicycle industry expect shortages to persist into 2022.
But even the worlds most valuable company is feeling the pinch of the global chip shortage.
New iPads, MacBook Pros and the Apple Watch Series 7 are also expected to be in short supply.
But for its pricier iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 ProMax, expected delivery dates extend into mid-December.
Engagement Rings
COVID-19 brought diamond mining, trading and cutting to a halt in spring 2020.
Yet demand for jewelry stayed surprisingly high.
Investors are also increasingly seeking out diamonds, putting more pressure on demand.
Retailers are now having a difficult time obtaining diamonds and precious metals.
Were guessing that this is pretty rare, though.
Which is good news because the 2021 holiday season will be an awful time to buy a car.
The global chip shortage and shipping woes have hit the auto industry hard.
Meanwhile, the pandemic fueled demand for vehicles as people avoided public transportation.
Meanwhile, the latest Consumer Price Index survey showed thatused car pricesrose 26.4% in the past 12 months.
Dealerships have razor-thin inventories right now.
Available vehicles are often less popular models, yet theyre selling well above the sticker price.
But for several months, manufacturers have been warning that toys could be hard to find this season.
Materials like plastic and resin that are used to produce many toys are in short supply.
Exorbitant shipping prices and a lack of warehouse space and truck drivers could add to shortages.
Retail forecasters are mixed on how bad the toy shortage will be.
It will probably be tougher than usual to find 2021smost popular toys.
But as long as youre not set on buying the seasons hottest toys, you should have ample options.
Sneakers
Expect your choices to be limited if youre buying someone a new pair of kicks this holiday season.
Rubber and plastic are key materials for sneakers, and both are in short supply right now.
Also be prepared to shell out more.
According to Footwear News, shoe prices were up 6.5% in September compared to one year ago.
Surprise Bestsellers
We started reading more during the pandemic.
Mostly, we devoured books on dead tree instead of downloading titles on our iPads and Kindles.
Wood pulp, a key ingredient for paper making, and ink are both scarce.
You dont need to worry about empty shelves at your local bookstore.
Wine
Wine will be in short supply this holiday season, but COVID-19 doesnt get all of the blame.
Droughts in California and other Western states have lowered the grape yield at many vineyards.
But much of the vino winemakers do have is sitting around in oak barrels.
Thats because glass bottles are in short supply thanks to the pandemic.
Its unlikely that stores will run dry on wine this season.
Remind your loved one that these are unusual times.
Too many customers are chasing after too few goods, which means a lot of people will be disappointed.
She writes the Dear Penny personal finance advice column.
Send your tricky money questions to[email protected].
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
