These products could be late for Christmas

Update from 20.12.2021:

many snowshoe models are sold out. All brands are affected, including Tubbs, MSR and TSL. Several Raspberry Pi single-board computer models are currently unavailable.

Update as of 17.12.2021:

Davos sled: our selection is now limited, several models are sold out and supplies won’t arrive before Christmas.

Smartphones, tablets and, in some cases, smartwatches are in very short supply.

Notebooks: for popular models such as the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air, demand outweighs supply.

Vacuum cleaners: several models from Dyson and Philips are sold out.

Large household appliances: a bottleneck is also emerging here, especially for dishwashers – Miele, Bosch and Siemens, among others, are complaining about a lack of components.

Audio: speakers have barely been available for months. For the Sonos brand, for example, the One SL, Move and Arc models are all out of stock.

Various cameras are also sold out.

Update as of 7.12.2021

The recently released Sony ZV-E10 is already no longer available due to the chip shortage. Other cameras, lenses and spare parts are also affected.

Update as of 1.12.2021:

Bottlenecks for winter sports articles

We’re experiencing supply problems for avalanche transceivers. Take the brand Ortovox, for example. Most devices are already sold out for this season due to the microchip shortage. On the other hand, sets with a shovel and probe are still available.

Burton also issued cancellations; some snowboards, bindings and boots can’t be manufactured or aren’t deliverable before February.

iPads only being restocked next year

The 2021 iPad 2021 (9th generation) with 64 GB of memory won’t be restocked before Christmas. However, the 265 GB model, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro are available as alternatives.

The pandemic has caused supply and production bottlenecks worldwide: we’re all travelling, partying and eating out less, so there’s more money left over for shopping – and supply is struggling to keep up with demand. This is particularly apparent when it comes to freight containers. Two years ago, a ship transport from Asia to Europe cost around 2,000 US dollars. The price has since increased fivefold to 10,000 dollars. And with freighters piling up outside the ports, containers are now often arriving several months later than usual.

Add to that local Covid outbreaks that are repeatedly forcing factories and ports to close. As a result, entire industries are suffering because of interrupted supply chains and production facilities coming to a standstill.

It’s now becoming apparent that we’ll increasingly be faced with product shortages at Christmas. Find out if your gifts are likely to be affected below. «We recommend ordering early if you want one of the listed products,» says Otto van der Heijden, Head of Category Management and the man in charge of the product range at Digitec Galaxus. «Although we’ve been stocking up our warehouses for weeks, last-minute shoppers may have to make do with alternatives.»

Semiconductors wanted!

Many products that require computer chips and semiconductors are currently in short supply. While it was mainly graphics cards and game consoles that were affected in spring, printers are now also scarce. The same goes for baby monitors, robot vacuum cleaners, laptops, PCs, electric shavers, electric toothbrushes as well as kitchen appliances including coffee makers and fridges. The children’s audio system Tonies has also practically sold out.

In addition, we’re heading for a bottleneck for mobile phones and tablets. According to news service Bloomberg, Apple, for example, will only be able to produce around 80 instead of 90 million iPhones by the end of the year due to a lack of chips. What’s more, the tech company has also delayed the launch of the new iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models: they’ll now be delivered mid-November at the earliest.

Industry experts believe the semiconductor shortage will continue for months, if not years. This shortage is also affecting prices. For example, when new graphics cards, printers or laptops hit the market, manufacturers often set higher prices. And the higher purchase prices are ultimately borne by consumers.

Disappointment due to toy shortage

Popular toys already started to become scarce months before Christmas. In addition to the Tonies audio system for kids, Schleich figurines are also affected. The German toy manufacturer is currently struggling to get polyamide 66 – the main ingredient for making miniature ponies, pigs, dinosaurs, etc.

Some Lego sets are also expected to be sold out by Christmas. Supplies are also limited for toys made of wood and cardboard. The shortage is now also reflected in prices: many toys have seen purchase prices rise by 5 to 10 per cent in recent weeks.

Sneakers and kettlebells dwindling

If you were hoping to find a new pair of sneakers under the tree, you might be disappointed. Vietnam, the world’s largest shoe producer, has had to close several factories because of the pandemic. US brand Nike and Swiss brand On are among those hit.

Fitness equipment stocks are also showing gaps as kettlebells, treadmills and weight plates are proving particularly popular. So customers who had their eye on something special for Christmas shouldn’t wait too long.

Beware of bike and car thieves

Bicycles, bicycle accessories and spare parts such as chains, cog sets, wheels, hubs or brake pads have already been in short supply since the summer. Now, the situation is further intensifying. So much so that thieves are on the hunt for spare parts.

This also goes for cars and car accessories. Dealers who order car accessories today usually have to wait at least six months for delivery. Meanwhile, criminals are targeting car radios, which can be resold at hefty prices, even in a used state, because of their scarcity.

Furniture and decorative items in demand

Demand is now often greater than supply when it comes to furniture and decorative items. Due to the increased prices of wood and steel, almost all furniture is also more expensive than half a year ago.

When will you be doing your Christmas shopping? What would you like to be gifted this year? Is anything you wanted already sold out? Let us know in the comments!