Can't find what you need at the store? 'Out of stock' is a sign of the times - StarTribune.com

Can't find what you need at the store? 'Out of stock' is a sign of the times - StarTribune.com

"...Delays, product shortages and rising costs continue to bedevil businesses large and small. 

And consumers are confronted with an experience once rare in modern times: no stock available, and no idea when it will come in.

In the face of an enduring shortage of computer chips, Toyota this month announced that it would slash its global production of cars by 40%. 

Factories around the world are limiting operations — despite powerful demand for their wares — because they cannot buy metal parts, plastics and other raw materials. 

...In Britain, the National Health Service recently advised that it must delay some blood tests because of a shortage of needed gear. 

A recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry found the worst shortages of parts in the history of the index, which started in 1977.

..."We have this vicious cycle of all the natural human instincts responding, and making the problem worse," said Willy C. Shih, an international trade expert at Harvard Business School. 

"I don't see it getting better until next year."...Read all.