Grocery stores overcame the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020, but now appliance retailers are having difficulty keeping their stores stocked with various products.
Most manufacturers were forced to shut down at least temporarily at one time or another this year, and the backlog is starting to become a problem. Big box stores seem to be having the most trouble keeping items like washers, dryers, and refrigerators on the floor.
Jeff McBride, an appliance specialist at Lowe’s on Airport Highway, said the store’s selection has been cut in half.
“When this pandemic hit, appliance sales went through the roof,” Mr. McBride said. “Because of demand for specific appliances, all the manufacturers could not keep up with demand. They took whatever product they were getting orders for, and they said they’ll start making only them.”
Mr. McBride said he has plenty of inventory on the items in stock, but orders for the other models could take six to 12 months to fill. He said over half the items online are not available for delivery, something he has never seen in 15 years.
At Appliance Center in Maumee, general manager Kenny Wanemacher said for the first time in his 19 years, big box stores are referring customers to his shop on Illinois Avenue. He said his store had high inventory prior to the pandemic, which is helping keep product available.
“It helps that we can control the entire product fulfillment for a customer every step of the way,” Mr. Wanemacher said. “We have our own drivers and service techs, so we don’t rely on anyone else to take care of the customer. We’re still offering same-day delivery on appliances, furniture, and mattresses.”
Refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ranges are in the highest demand at Appliance Center. Mr. Wanemacher urged customers to buy sooner rather than later before the holiday surge arrives.
Whirlpool Corp. is one of many manufacturers tasked with meeting unprecedented demand. The company released the following statement to The Blade:
“Our 15,000 plant employees in our nine plants across the U.S. have been working tirelessly as we have managed through COVID-19 and our factories are doing everything they can to meet consumer needs. Our plants have experienced a few brief interruptions in production related to the pandemic, including component shortages, but as a whole have remained up and running throughout this challenging time.”
Kevin Myers, manager of Durocher’s on Monroe Street in Sylvania, said brands like Whirlpool, GE, and Frigidaire are tough to keep in stock. Refrigerators are scarce.
He recently emailed a customer building a house and said it could be three months for certain appliances — or longer.
Black Friday is fast approaching, but many stores are not anticipating the same level of in-person sales seen most years. Mr. Myers said his inventory is not where he would like it to be entering the last couple months of the year.
“The manufacturers are not running the promotions because they don’t want more orders, as crazy as that sounds,” he said.
Appliance Center made a “huge investment” in its website to prepare for a pandemic version of the biggest shopping day of the year.
“We’re used to seeing crowds of 300 or more people waiting to get in the doors,” Mr. Wanemacher said. “We don’t anticipate the in-person shopping as much. We’ve seen a huge surge in online shopping; web sales are up 2,500 percent.”
First Published November 10, 2020, 1:00 p.m.
