Posting this after reading about the backlog of vessels waiting for methods of transportation in the US West Coast, and also reading of expected supply shortages of Christmas toys in the US from toy manufacturers. It looks like we are not the only country with this problem and I am sure other European nations are facing similar situations. To make a long story short, lack of driver testing for new truckers due to Covid restrictions, and Brexit visa issues have caused a large shortage of truck drivers in the UK. Giving 10 days to save Christmas seems a little extreme, but I know these exact same problems are happening in the US. Expect some inflated prices come for Christmas goods this year.
Panic buying is starting to creep into America again. Costco is limiting quantities of many things. It is because inflation is driving their costs much higher than they had planned for.
It's an economy, not a train. It doesn't run on a schedule. Shut down economies don't restart with a mouse-click. It's gonna take a while to get up to speed, and STUPID-19 restrictions create speed bumps and road-blocks. What of it? You'd have to be living in a cave not to know that everything is the extreme now, or is taken to the extreme. That's just the way it is until the civil war puts an end to it. Well, yeah, that's Demand-pull Inflation. Consumers have 3 choices when Demand-pull Inflation exists: 1) Stop consuming (which reduced Demand and prices fall). I'm absolutely certain the Divine Pyromaniac Junior won't mind if x-Mas is cancelled this year; 2) Seek substitutes. You can always give your kid a clear plastic bag and some string. They'll have tons of fun with that; 3) Increase Supply or increase the Rate of Increase of Supply (of course that will be difficult with STUPID-19 restrictions)
