New freezers in short supply at some Saskatchewan stores

Appliances are still in short supply in Canada due to backup and delayed recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lindsay Ritchie, the general manager of Coast Appliances in Regina, said freezers are highest in demand.

“There are delays in freezers and it has been random of which ones are delayed and which ones are not,” Ritchie told the Greg Morgan Morning Show. “But they’re having a hard time especially getting bigger chest ones and some of the upright ones.”

Prolonged shipping times have people waiting for the global supply chain to catch up. They could be waiting a while.

“Currently we’re asking for about six months on pretty much any freezer,” said Ritchie.

Shipments have struggled to catch up ever since they slowed down during the pandemic. Ritchie said shipping is only half the problem.

“I think there’s some backlog in the actual compressors themselves,” said Ritchie. “They’ve mostly come out of one country and it has been a challenge getting them.

“I don’t know if it’s actually manufacturing them or getting them shipped as well, but I’m pretty sure that it’s both.”

Freezers are not the only things in high demand. Some refrigerators are also in short supply.

“Some are better than others, but there are some refrigerators that have been behind for a year if not more,” Ritchie said. “Some of them have recovered but some of them are still a year away.”

Ritchie seems to think the problem is not going to go away anytime soon.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone to help alleviate the problem,” said Ritchie. “Nobody is working on the docks and I think some of these manufacturers are having a staffing shortage. It’s labour, it’s product materials (and) it’s the whole supply chain.”

If you’re moving, Ritchie has some advice.

“If you’ve got one, take it with you if you can,” said Ritchie. “It’s kind of a pain to move out of the house, but a lot of people are making the move to do it.”

Not a shortage for all

While the demand for freezers has been higher at Continental Factory Direct in Regina, General Manager Ron Walker said his store isn’t dealing with shortages.

Walker said it could have something to do with the store’s large warehouse, but he hasn’t seen any problems with freezer availability. According to Walker, the store may not have a specific model but it will have the size someone is after – which is a good thing because Walker called freezers an essential appliance.

“You can get away with it in January or February, just throw it in a snowbank but most of the time it’s something that is essential,” said Walker.

If a customer were looking for a dishwasher, that could be a little tougher. Walker said dishwashers can be hard to get because of supply chain issues for the manufacturers.

“Even some models, manufacturers aren’t even taking orders on – they’re concentrating on the more popular models,” said Walker.