It’s mid 2019. During one of our conversations I say, “I think we’re heading for problems in the retail fixture marketplace. By mid-2021, the major manufacturers of fixtures will be quoting lead times of 8 months or more, which means that unless you plan way in advance, fixture shortages will delay your openings. Worse yet, the price of steel and shipping will rise by over 200%, resulting in unprecedented increases in fixture prices.” Would you have believed me? Of course not! How could that possibly happen? Yet here we are.
Unfortunately, the reasons for these shortages and delays are complex and not likely to right themselves quickly. Shortages of raw materials, manufacturing capacity, labor, shipping containers, and other factors are contributing to problem. Eventually the market will correct, but it could take a while.
So what can we do in the meantime? You can do your best to plan ahead and order early. Of course, this approach doesn’t help you with your immediate needs. We, however, might have a solution – a way to address your near terms needs for the fixtures you need to open stores and capture a piece of the hot retail marketplace.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing some near-term solutions to some of your fixture needs. If you’d like to learn more, please give us a call. Otherwise, keep an eye on this blog, your email our social media pages and midwestretailservices.com for news and updates.
