Worldwide shipment and supply shortages from the COVID-19 pandemic have created multiple issues for groceries stores, restaurants and other businesses across the country.
In Gainesville, a family-owned grocery store, Chun Ching Market, is getting hit especially hard from the crisis.
Thu Win, a co-owner of Chun Ching Market, says her business is short-staffed and shipments have been late by as much as a week lately. She’s even had to take matters into her own hands to get her store restocked.
“If I cannot get something from the same suppliers, I will find something for my community and my customers,” Win said. “Even though we are out of stuff, or have shortages of something, we will have something as a substitute.”
Win says she orders items for the store from international brands. Because of this, she says the cost of shipping has been getting higher.
Jyoti Parmar, a frequent customer of Chun Ching Market, also says she’s noticed less stock on the shelves.
“It used to be overstocked, everything was like falling over and they don’t have that (now)” Parmar said. “We were looking for the mango jellies the other day, and they never not have that, but they didn’t.”
Despite the stock shortages, both Parmar and Win have hope that these issues are temporary and will end by next year.
President Joe Bidenannounced a plan Wednesday to alleviate some of the shortages. He says the Port of Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest ports, will move to 24/7 service, and the White House will work with large corporations to ease shipment issues for businesses like Chun Ching Market.
The president says the plan has the potential to be a game changer for the economy.