Because of supply-chain woes, retailers are warning Christmas shoppers to buy earlier than usual or they’ll face empty shelves for popular items this holiday season.
Lori Parker, co-owner of Treasure Island Toys store in Toronto, told CTV News her one piece of advice is: “Shop now.”
While her store is currently stocked with popular items, such as bubble-popping toys or squeezable noodles, she’s seeing early signs that things will change in the coming weeks.
Already, she’s been told certain toys can’t be ordered anymore.
And while shipments from other suppliers have trickled in, delays have been far more common than in previous years. For example, an order she placed two months ago for a popular doll has yet to show up, when normally it would’ve only taken two weeks.
Doug Putman, owner of Toys “R” Us Canada and founder of Putman Investments, said his company has already placed larger-than-usual orders for products this year.
“Every year hot toys sell out, and so this year is even worse," he told CTV News, adding that he urges parents to start buying now, especially if they have something specific in mind.
Karen Micallef is one of those parents who’ve heard the message loud and clear.
"It is early -- we just heard about the short supply of toys. So I just wanted to get my shopping done prior to going to store and [it] being out of items,” she told CTV News.
Experts have said that the pandemic has led to reductions in the number of people working in ports and factories, so companies have since had a difficult time resuming full operations.
This has led to a bottleneck in the global transportation pipeline, which is creating issues for hundreds of industries. Experts have already stated that besides toys, items which are going to be harder to find in the coming months include furniture and appliances; clothing, handbags and shoes; as well as winter tires.
Ongoing supply-chain woes have led to big toy retailers and manufacturers taking a big hit financially. Hasbro has said global supply chain disruptions have cost them about US$100 million in lost toy orders in the third quarter.
But a silver lining for some of these companies may be that, when it comes to holiday shopping, a recent survey suggested Canadians are expected to go return to pre-pandemic levels.
The Retail Council of Canada survey found that Canadians say they are going to spend significantly more on shopping and visit more brick-and-mortar stores in the coming months.
But don’t expect last-minute deals which typically drop closer to the holidays, one expert warns.
“We are anticipating that due to some of the supply chain issues, some of those discounts may be harder to find,” Andrew Wagner, Canadian Toy Association spokesperson, told CTV News.
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A French judge in the trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose now former husband had repeatedly drugged her so that he and others could assault her decided on Friday to allow the public to see some of the video recordings of the alleged rapes.
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Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
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The owner of a Gatineau, Que. café says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.
Gas prices in Ottawa are set to rise this weekend after a slight uptick overnight.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.
The owner of a Gatineau, Que. café says it's 'silly' that Quebec's language watchdog is telling the business to write its Instagram posts in French.
A 28-year-old female driver was seriously injured in a three-vehicle collision Friday afternoon in Saint-Rémi, Montérégie, reports the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
A letter from Edmonton's mayor to the Alberta government detailing the city's fiscal wishlist ahead of next year's budget calls for fair treatment for the capital city, something several city councillors say isn't already happening.
A new docu-series that reveals what life is like for National Hockey League players on and off the ice during the playoffs is now out.
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A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
The federal Fisheries Department says it is concerned about a "pattern" of violence and threats toward its enforcement officers after two tense incidents off southwestern Nova Scotia last month.
Friday marked the grand opening of 22 new seniors' apartments built from the ground-up on Pitt Street in Sydney Mines, N.S.
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Manitoba RCMP arrested a man after he allegedly pulled over two women on the highway pretending to be an RCMP officer.
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.
A group of climate activists is challenging SaskPower's move towards natural gas, arguing it violates their Charter rights.
Regina kids facing mobility issues were gifted toy cars through the Go Baby Go program.
Police have laid charges after a car crashed into the side of a Kitchener home early Friday morning.
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A Guelph coach has scored touchdown after touchdown in her development of the football program at Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School.
The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation hosted a virtual election forum on education Thursday evening, giving candidates in the provincial election a chance to share their thoughts and answer questions on issues teachers find most important.
A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.
Saskatoon police arrested a homeless person at the scene of an encampment underneath the University Bridge on Friday morning.
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Eleven victim impact statements were submitted into court during the proceedings.
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Defence Minister Bill Blair says Israel has the right to defend itself in 'a calibrated and proportional way' following Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on Tuesday.
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Brazil's Supreme Court said on Friday that lawyers representing social media platform X did not pay pending fines to the right bank, postponing its decision on whether to allow the tech firm to resume services in Brazil.
Canada's airlines have failed in their challenge of air passenger protection rules that the federal government implemented in 2019.
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