Retailers Temper Consumer Enthusiasm for Holiday Shopping

With a record holiday season looming ahead, retailers are altering their messaging to set consumer expectations regarding “supply chain challenges,” “longer delivery times” and “lower inventories,” reports Reuters.

Last week, Nordstrom (Seattle) send an email to customers warning that “global supply chain challenges” would impact holiday shopping. “”We’re anticipating that the hottest gifts may sell out on our site and that shipping could take longer than we’d all like,” Nordstrom President Peter Nordstrom and CEO Erik Nordstrom said in an email to customers.

In related news, Nordstrom is expected to hire 28,600 seasonal and regular workers for its Nordstrom and Nordstrom stores in the U.S. and Canada as well as for its supply chain and customer service teams, reports Yahoo! Finance. U.S. consumers are expected to spend up to $1.3 trillion over the holiday season, according to Deloitte. But inventory and labor shortages are expected to challenge retailers’ ability to meet demand.