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DC area small businesses feeling the impact of supply chain snags
Businesses in the DC area say they’re concerned that nationwide supply chain issues could impact their bottom line.
ARLINGTON, Va. - Nationwide supply chain issues have some local businesses concerned about how it will further impact their bottom-line.
FOX 5 heard from several businesses in Arlington that say they’re struggling to get answers about when supplies are coming.
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Luis Delgado, an assistant manager at Classic Cigars and British Goodies in downtown Arlington says they sell foreign candy, snacks and drinks, but over the last few months they’ve gradually received less of them.
"We’re probably at half capacity for our chips," Delgado said. "Maybe a quarter of our chocolates and everything that we’re supposed to be getting in we’re not getting in."
Delgado adds with the holiday season around the corner, it’s an important time of year for business but because of supply chain issues, they may not have as many of their most popular items as before.
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"We order that stuff I want to say three to six months in advance as is but with everything going on we’re not entirely sure if we’re getting that stuff or not," Delgado said. "It’s a little frustrating but what can you do right."
Delgado says they’ve been tried to contact the places that ship most of their items to find out if they’ll receive them in time because those items could expire.
"A lot of our stuff is perishable so with it being on backdraft who knows if by the time we get it if it’s still going to be able to sell and that’s just money we’re essentially wasting."
He says the situation is heartbreaking because some customers come from miles away.
"There are some people who come from like West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware just to get some of this stuff because you can’t get it anywhere else," Delgado said. "All I can say is you know try and call back try and work with us we’re doing our best."
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FOX 5 also heard from Tracy O’Grady, executive chef at the Green Pig Bistro in downtown Arlington.
"It’s hitting everything that we need," O’Grady said. "We have food issues wine issues China issues equipment issues."
She says fortunately they’ve been busy with plenty of customers, but they are in need supplies, some of which they’ve been waiting on for months.
"It seems to be understandable what’s happening, but the hardest part is we can’t get answers," O’Grady said. "So you say well we ordered the compressor four months ago where is it? Nobody can tell you, so your kind of just hoping and waiting for things to show up. Then we don’t know if it’s freight issues, driver issues, warehouse issues all along the supply nobody knows where the exact problems are."