365 post and responses week 12

BB - Current Supply Chain Problems

Buying products in the US marketplace has changed in the last 2 years.   Recently we tried to buy a product (a solar powered water fountain for our bird bath) that was never delivered.   Big box stores have many items completely out of stock (e.g. treated deck boards at Home Depot,  Deep Chest Freezers, etc, etc.)   Have you experienced any of  these shortages personally?   The news has also been full of stories concerning the difficulty of getting PPP products like N85 masks.  If so, are the short falls due to contracting / franchising issues in the international supply chains for source materials or product distribution?  Please provide at least 2 examples and suggest possible solutions.  What would you be doing if you were the merchandising manager for a store like Home Depot, or Wal-Mart?  Please provide references where appropriate.

Initial Posting is due by Thursday class time.