Let’s be real. It’s 2021, and we’re all still figuring out how to survive a global pandemic. Leaders across industries did their best to make decisions during an incredibly precarious year, and a post-2020 world feels a bit like a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
Although we’ve assembled some key areas of the puzzle, there are still approximately 7,452 pieces to go and we’re all working feverishly to figure out where they fit. The good news is, we’re doing it! The bad news is it takes a while.
The takeaway for anyone in the print industry is to ORDER EARLY (we suggest 2-3 weeks earlier than normal). We’re commonly seeing delays of 2-5 business days. Depending on the rise and fall in demand of various types of stationery, certain areas may see delays of 1-2 weeks. As the holidays approach, foil will be in high demand and will likely see longer delays.
Here are a few of the puzzling areas we continue to work through in an effort to reduce, and eventually eliminate, these delays…
Port Congestion
During Q3, 2021, 40 ocean cargo ships were waiting offshore daily at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Before the pandemic, a single ship at anchor was rare.
Labor Shortages
As of July, 2021, there were 10.9 million job openings across The United States. These shortages are across industries and across the country. Current delays are largely due to this labor shortage.
Material Shortages
Paper production and availability have been hit hard in some areas; most recently, letterpress due to the volatility of cotton prices. We’ve been seeing disruptions with both pre-embellished and standard stocks in the last few months but we’re keeping a close eye on our offerings and substitutions where possible.
Demand Is High
Demand for print products is back and will only grow as we enter the holiday season. A silver lining from the COVID storm cloud is that it breathed new life into greeting cards and mailing each other heartfelt sentiments. Plus people want to celebrate special occasions more than ever so demand for fine stationery and print products is returning at full force.
We know delays are frustrating. We’re trying to be transparent and we’re posting delay times on our website so you’ll know what to expect when you place your order. However, we are doing our best not to sacrifice quality for speed. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re working hard to get there. We have a fantastic team of experienced people working hard to assemble the remaining 7,322 pieces of the puzzle. See? We’re making progress!
October 4, 2021
Author : Shanna
Title: Content WriterYears at The Occasions Group: 18 years
Favorite Print Process: Thermography
Secretly I’m really good at… "throwing games! Bag toss, ladder golf, skee ball. I won’t be winning any championships but I can hold my own."
