Whenever you go shopping for something in particular, there's always a chance that what you want to buy will be out of stock. Amid the COVID pandemic, that's become a particularly common experience for shoppers due to tons of product shortages over the last year, ranging from toilet paper to condiments. However, it's not often you go into a store and find that almost everything is out of stock, and yet, one company is currently facing that problem. Read on to find out which popular store has customers complaining about their lack of inventory, and for more shortages you should know about, This Everyday Necessity May Soon Be Impossible to Find, Experts Say.
Lush Cosmetics is having a major shortage of its most beloved products.
ShutterstockIf you're looking to purchase items from Lush Cosmetics anytime soon, you should be prepared that what you want is likely out of stock. The company has a warning up on their website's contact page, notifying customers that they are "currently experiencing stock shortages." But that seems to be an understatement. Customers have taken to Twitter to complain about the company's severe lack of inventory.
On May 4, one Twitter user said that out of 25 different bath bombs on Lush's website, only two were in stock to order. And another said that the website indicated that their local store was completely out of bath bombs on May 5. As of May 6 when this article was published, only six out of 25 bath bombs are in stock on Lush's website, and many of their hair and face products are out of stock as well.
And for more on some other popular stores undergoing change, This One Thing Is Disappearing From 300 Walmart Stores.
Lush says the shortage is the result of supply chain issues.
LushAccording to Lush, its shortage is because essential ingredients were out of stock due to supply chain issues, which, according to Insider, could be a result of two worldwide problems: the COVID pandemic and the recent Suez Canal blockage last month.
"We are experiencing noticeable levels of low and out-of-stock products due to supply chain issues related to our essential oils as well as other important materials," Lush's North American Twitter account responded to a customer on April 29.
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Lush doesn't keep much inventory due to concerns of "over-ripening or rotting" products.
ShutterstockLush has two manufacturing facilities for North America—one in Vancouver and one in Toronto—where their products are made fresh, per their website. According to Insider, Dan Dresser, one of Lush's head manufacturers, said in 2016 that the company "keeps its inventory extremely small to avoid over-ripening or rotting, and turnaround can be as short as 24 hours from the factory to one of the 250 North American retail stores." This means that the company typically has to restock items weekly and is unable to pull from an existing inventory when faced with supply chain issues like this.
And for more products you may be unable to find at the moment, This Favorite Summer Food Is Disappearing From Stores and Restaurants.
But Lush hopes to have its items back in stores in a matter of weeks.
ShutterstockLush said that they have since resolved their shortage issues and are planning to restock items over the next few weeks. "We are working super hard to get new products restocked," the company replied to a Twitter user on May 6. "We are adding new items each day as our teams make them, so hopefully more will be available soon." The company also said in a reply to a customer on May 3 that some items "may be temporarily out of stock until later this month." If you're looking for something in particular, you can sign up for restock alerts through Lush's website.
And for more retail news, This Beloved Store Is Closing 65 Locations.
