ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Will Thanksgiving be impacted by supply chain issues? Some in St. Louis are seeing empty store shelves but major grocers in St Louis say that they do not expect supply issues with turkeys this year.
“The turkey supply at Schnucks is good. In fact, we have more turkeys in stock this year than we had in 2020. We currently have turkeys in stock and ready for customers,” said Schnucks Spokesman Paul Simon.
“I can tell you that yes, we’re seeing sale increases on turkeys sooner in the month than normal; but we expect to have a full assortment of frozen and fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving. Our fresh turkeys will arrive on November 16th. As for advice, for our stores in particular, if you do get to the store over the next few weeks and are looking for something specific and don’t see it on display, please ask us. It could be we are due a delivery soon or we can pull from another store. If we can help you, we will,” said Dierbergs Spokesman Jamie Collins.
However, FOX 2 reporter Jeff Bernthal pointed out in his story this week that everyone is being impacted by some supply chain issues. In the case of turkeys, it’s not the bird but some of the stuff to get the bird to you.
Chef Rick Lewis is the owner of Grace Meat + Three in The Grove said some of the material used to wrap certain food products has caused delays. He said packaging problems have been to blame for delays with turkey breasts. He is offering a Thanksgiving meal to go and is encouraging customers to order early.
Kenrick’s Meat and Catering on Weber Road is already experiencing an increased interest in turkeys this year. The expectation is that smaller turkeys will be in greater demand. He also expects to sell out of the store’s Thanksgiving meal to go.
Target said it is doing everything it can to provide people what they want and need. Earlier in October, the company released information on its supply chain. Target said it chartered its own container ship to regularly bring merchandise from overseas ports to the U.S. By doing that, Target said it can avoid some of the delays other companies are experiencing. The company said it is also working with transportation companies to move the merchandise as quickly as possible once it reaches the U.S.
The world’s second-largest retailer says it’s also ready for a busy holiday shopping season. Walmart also chartered ships to deliver shipments to the U.S. The company said it is also diverting shipments to other ports because they aren’t as congested. That means the company has access to its shipments faster. Walmart also changed the way it’s shipping items across the country. The company said it hired more than 3,000 drivers in 2021 so it can use more trucking transportation and avoid rail delays. The company said it plans to hire an additional 150,000 people to help in stores as well as in distribution roles. Walmart said it has already promoted and trained thousands of employees this year to help with its supply chain. It’s also expanding automation capabilities in facilities so it can use workers in other areas.
