Sales for brand new toys are up 40 per cent on Trade Me as Kiwis begin their Christmas shopping.
Global supply chains continue to be disrupted by Covid-19, prompting some Kiwi parents to get ahead and purchase gifts now to make sure Santa’s sack is full.
Trade Me data shows a spike in purchases for things like brand new bikes and trampolines, signalling the holiday season spending has already begun.
“This is a lot earlier than we normally see,” Trade Me’s Millie Silvester told 1News.
“[New toys] really are flying off the digital shelves. Globally, toy companies and manufacturers are struggling with supply chain issues and they are warning that there are going to be stock shortages. It’s pushing parents to start buying now,” she said.
The problem though isn’t stock blockages here in New Zealand.
A Ports of Auckland spokesperson told 1News “we won’t be the Christmas Grinch this year”, pointing to the wider global supply chain as the issue, and highlighting the extra staff hired to deal with peak shipping periods.
Overseas ports are inundated with shipping backlogs, the impacts of which are amplified by a lack of port workers and driver shortages.
This then impacts goods getting to Aotearoa.
Currently around 12.5 per cent of the total global shipping capacity is stuck anchored off shore.
Retailers in the US are warning some Christmas-wish-list gifts won’t be available at all.
“There are certain things that aren’t coming and will not be here,” Kansas toy store manager, Tracie Jensen, told ABC World News Tonight.
Shops like Wallmart are seeing customers panic buy toys which industry experts say is unnecessary and also contributing to the problem.
Here in New Zealand, some retailers have changed their ordering habits to make sure they have Christmas stock in store.
Meg McMillan, owner of homeware store Tea Pea, told 1News making sure her customers get what they want is a priority.
“I’m constantly having to think about getting things here, and so we’ve been bringing in stock earlier and earlier [sic].”
She also said there’s some stock that won’t make it to her shop because they’re currently unavailable to buy wholesale.
The message to Kiwi customers is to get in quick if they want to buy the “it” toy for a loved one.
“Get in quick or risk missing out this Christmas,” Silvester said.
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