Empty Shelving

 This past week, my wife (German in nature) dragged me off to three different local grocery operations.  I'm mostly the cart-guy and to lift anything heavy (like beer custons). 

So you can't help but notice....shelving is somewhat empty.  I'd divide it into three categories:

1.  Certain companies have tried to raise their prices, and the grocery operation has refused to 'play along'.  So orders dropped, and the shelf is completely empty.

2. Logistics is behind....mostly because of a trucker shortage.  So instead of daily deliveries....it might be every other day where the depot delivery is occurring.

3.  Pricing has reached a level where customers are more hesitant to buy unless they really have a necessity for the product.

I'm not saying 50-percent of the shelf space is empty....I'm just saying when you walk a entire grocery store.....at least twenty separate shelves are mostly empty or completely empty.  

It's not a crisis thing, but it's just noticeable.

I went to a regional US commissary in the past month, and noted that even shelves here were somewhat empty.....with shipments behind schedule.