From the Financial Times:
"One of the world’s largest port and terminal operators has warned the global shipping and supply chain crisis that is leaving shelves empty on the high street can be resolved only by a slowdown in consumer demand.
"Morten Engelstoft, chief executive of Maersk-owned APM Terminals, said a 'vicious circle' had been created by surging demand putting strain on container groups, suppliers and logistics companies as they struggled to deliver goods."
Engelstoft said, "“We need to work out how we break this vicious circle … We need lower [consumer demand] growth to give the supply chain time to catch up, or differently spread out growth. Over a long period of time, we will need to recover efficiency.”
- KC's View:
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Good luck with that, especially in a world where consumers want what they want, when they want it, how they want it.
That said, greater transparency by businesses about the factors creating product shortages might have the effect of a better-informed consumer class, which might lessen the strains a bit.
