In the shopping frenzy, buyers flocked to big shops and supermarkets attacks on american ports – Stamping of essential items which, in many cases, are not affected by work stoppages.
Experts say the strike at 14 ports from Maine to Texas will mainly affect supermarkets’ access to fresh produce from the Caribbean and Latin America, packaged foods and wine from Europe and some meat from overseas.
Still, consumers appeared concerned that stores could run out of basic supplies as they did during the pandemic — similar retail raids were reported in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and even Arizona Was.
At a Costco in New Rochelle, New York, on Thursday, cars were parked a half-mile from the store, with customers wheeling out shopping carts filled with toilet paper, paper towels and bottled water — household items that are mostly produced Were. Do not rely domestically and on ships and dock workers.
on a The Staten Island location of the members-only Warehouse ClubStockpiles of other grocery items produced in the U.S. were massively depleted, according to video footage shot by FreedomNews.TV, with even entire aisles of paper towels, toilet paper and Kleenex almost completely emptied. .
“Everyone came out [today] Because they’re worried about the strike and you have to get milk, bread and eggs and they’re also out for paper towels,” one shopper told the outlet.
The woman, who identified herself as “Josephine”, said she failed to hand in the paper towels, and said she would be worried next week if the strike did not end.
Experts told The Post that rising prices would be the next impact of the strike – in which dockworkers are demanding higher wages and a halt to automation at port operations – and that strikes would begin in stores as soon as Friday.
At Hunts Point Produce Market, which supplies fruits and vegetables to restaurants and supermarkets in the New York metro area, distributors have seen wholesale prices increase by as much as 30% for imports such as bananas — which mostly come from Costa Rica — and citrus. Fruits and berries.
“The fear of supply disruptions next week is driving prices higher,” Justin Leis, director of business development for CJ Brothers at Hunts Point Produce Market, told The Post. “Distributors and importers are trying to slow down sales of goods they have on hand with the understanding that there may soon not be enough goods to meet demand.”
At least one grocer said consumers are buying more but not yet at worrying levels.
“It’s nothing like the COVID days or out-of-stock days,” said Steven Sloan, co-owner of the Morton Williams supermarket chain in New York City. “The stores are definitely busy but it’s more like you have a blizzard and people are going to stock up before the storm.”
Others say the stock they have in New York City area warehouses is “enough to last us a few weeks,” according to Nelson Eusebio, political director of the National Supermarket Association, which represents 750 independently owned stores. . “Our suppliers and our stores are in a wait-and-see situation, but the critical period is in the next two or three weeks when we have to re-order anything coming from another country.”
Still, increases in prices for fresh fruits and vegetables will be felt at many stores this coming weekend because “stores are under siege,” said Bert Flickinger, supermarket consultant at SRG Insights.
Smaller stores, including bodegas, are likely to be the first to run out of production as their suppliers try to sell what they have in stock to their larger customers.
“Suppliers would rather cut back on smaller orders than upset larger customers,” Leis said.
Even if the strike that started on Tuesday ends this week, the supply chain is likely to be disrupted till the end of this month as it will take several weeks to unload the already stacked ships. at least As of Wednesday, 45 were anchored off the coast – compared to only three before the work stoppage.
Additionally, some areas that were hard hit by Hurricane Helene are struggling with impassable roads and highways.
“If the strike had been resolved today, there would still be chaos at the ports that would take weeks to resolve,” Flickinger said.
Analysts warn that a strike may occur The economy loses billions of dollars every day Due to stoppage of shipment.
President Joe Biden — who has issued support for port workers — indicated the contract is moving forward, though he did not provide details.
