Santa’s sleigh is skidding to a halt this Christmas. Thanks to the global chip shortage, coupled with a lack of HGV drivers, gaps on shelves and items out of stock have become a common sight in the lead up to the festive period.
Chips are the brains behind products like electric toothbrushes, smart fridges and consoles, so the shortage has been squeezing supply from electronics to white goods to toys. The situation is compounded by competition for the limited supply between electronics manufacturers and automakers.
“This is having some impact on retailers in terms of the overall range of offers,” says Emile Naus, partner at BearingPoint, a management and technology consulting firm.