AUSTIN, Texas — The supply chain crisis is continuing to impact businesses across the nation, including here in Austin.
According to KVUE's media partners at the Austin-American Statesman, Royal Blue Grocery said the availability of items changes daily.
"We've been confronted with many, many curve balls," George Scariano, co-founder and co-owner of Royal Blue Groceries, told the Statesman. "It's really all over the place. We might have a lot of milk now, but none tomorrow. If you think of a product like Gatorade or Diet Coke, we were just out last week. We order from Coke, and if they're out, we're out."
And Randalls said its reducing variety to make sure the most popular items are stocked.
"Consumers may see shelves that look a little different than they normally would, as quick pivots are not easy to accommodate when it comes to shelf space and tag placements," said Christy Lara, a spokesperson for Randalls. "Consumers might not see their favorite variety on the shelf, but there will be an alternative product available in many cases."
As for local restaurant owners, some say its impossible to get the items they need to keep restaurants stocked.
"It's very difficult, especially for small businesses," Martin Cruz, a manager at two Chinatown restaurants, told the Statesman. "There's big competition among all industries now for everything logistically, monetarily. We're family owned, so it's harder for us because we literally have to scrape for what's left over. We really have to get down and dirty about where we can get our supplies. Other restaurants also are struggling to keep up."
To read the Statesman's full report, click here.
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