Some love it, some can’t stand it – but Christmas is only 101 days away.
Now, the short three months seems like a very long time, especially for those of us who tend to leave shopping until the last minute.
But we may not have the options this year, as a number of major retailers in Ireland have put out warnings about potential equity issues.
This has led to calls from retailers to get their Christmas shopping done as early as 2021.
Here’s the latest update from three of Ireland’s most popular brands:
Benes
Street giant Penneys has issued a warning to anyone shopping in its Irish stores.
Penneys shoppers will have to wait for some winter fashion items in Ireland due to stock delays.
Owner Associated British Foods (ABF) said Primark was « experiencing some delays in the delivery of some fall/winter stock due to disruption to port and container shipments. »
But ABF’s chief financial officer, John Basson, told Reuters news agency that the problem was with delays, not cancellations, adding: « All the stores got stock this early fall, we’re fully stocked and ready for the season, and there will be no shortages. »
The company added that Primark, which trades under the Penneys in Ireland, is expected to see a reduction in the total amount of inventory issued to stores worth €235m (£200m) by the end of its financial year.
Smith
Smyths Toys Ireland has issued a warning to customers this Christmas due to Global Freight Issues and Container Shortage.
It may only be in September, but Irish parents are being urged to buy gifts for the festive season early due to supply issues.
A spokeswoman for Smith Toys Ireland said on Tuesday: « Smith Toys advises you to shop early for Christmas.
“It’s always a good idea to avoid rush and avoid disappointment.
“It is especially important to shop early this year as global shipping and container shortages are causing supply issues in many parts of our lives.
We encourage you to sign up for our catalog now or go to the store starting September 24 to get a free 300-page Smyths Toys catalog.
« This will give you time to make those major gift decisions. »
IKEA
Swedish home furnishing company IKEA has had problems with its supply chains, resulting in about 10% of its products being unavailable.
Difficulties in transporting and supplying raw materials have led to the low or unavailability of some products.
IKEA also said that high demand for its products during lockdown periods has also contributed to the shortage.
An Ikea spokesperson said: “Like many retailers, we face ongoing challenges with our supply chains due to Covid-19 and labor shortages, with transportation, raw materials and sourcing affected.
« In addition, we are seeing a rise in customer demand as more people spend more time at home. »
They added: “As a result, we are seeing low availability in some of our ranges, with close to 10 per cent unavailable.
We hope this will subside as the situation improves in the coming weeks and months.
« Going forward, we are constantly looking for more opportunities to secure product availability to our customers and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. »