SUPPLY CHAIN SURVEY: Sunday morning at the supermarket -- happy days are here again?

There is no doubt the empty shelves problems significantly improved this week. 

There was only one item we wanted today that was out of stock. There were 17 rows of Kraft ranch salad dressing today, with one bottle in each row to fill up space. Similar extra wide, shallow rows were almost everywhere in the store. We shop at 6am Sunday when the store opens for business, and a new one week sale begins. We are hoarders, frequently buying more than we need for the next week. Whether the item is on sale, or not. This is at the huge Meijer's supermarket in Southfield, Michigan.

Paper towels and toilet paper

The wife was a hoarder of these products about a year ago so we did not need any. But I wanted to comment that I have never before seen so many paper towel and toilet paper rolls in one store at any time in my life.  Not even in warehouse style stores. No shortages of these products.

 

Philadelphia  Cream  Cheese

61 eight ounce tubs of soft cream cheese where there are usually 200 -- only 6 last week. 38 eight ounce blocks of cream cheese where there are usually 100 -- none last week.

Diet  Soda  Pop

Two liters bottles were on sale for only $1 each. All three flavors of diet pop that I wanted were well stocked. Far fewer empty shelves than prior weeks.

 

Breakfast  Cereals

A decent supply of raisin bran cereal, although only in one size of one brand.  Almost all other cereals were well stocked.  Far fewer empty shelves than in prior weeks.

 

Sugar  Free  Pickles

A small number of jars were available on the shelves, but Meijer's Kosher low sugar bread and butter pickles in a refrigerated case are better, so I just checked for this report.

Plain  Yogurt

Well stocked -- far better than in past weeks.

 

Packaged sliced ham and turkey

A decent selection. Better than in past weeks.

 

ACE harvest grain bread from Canada 

Two available. We wanted three, so bought the two. That's close enough.

Coffee

The wife wanted Taster's Choice coffee -- none available, in the flavor she wanted -- there are only three flavors, but her favorite one is always out.

 

Ice  Cream 

The ice cream row was a little better stocked than last week. No sugar free ice cream of any brand this week, but I didn't want any. After I finished a carton bought last week, I lost my desire to buy more for a while. The chocolate flavor is good, but vanilla is bland, and strawberry is just okay. You get all three flavors in one carton.  There were still far more empty shelves than products for sale -- the worst row in the store, by far -- mainly small very expensive ice cream containers, and some very cheap ice cream -- not the popular products.

 

Candy and gum display at the checkout counter

These impulse purchase shelves were three quarters filled up this week, not the mainly empty shelves I've seen in the past month.