Waking up.
We are starting the process of waking up from our year-plus of forced hibernation, and a lot has changed in the entertainment industry and world supply chains. I wanted to take a little time and put a few of these things out into our jungle so that you, our customers, know what to expect when you start needing things again.
1. We are ready to help you with anything!
We are here, stocked and staffed, awaiting your return! In the past year, we have expanded our offering to include a lot more audio and video brands along with the lighting and rigging you have come to expect from us. Come on in and check out our expanded product selection! We are now stocking Decimator, BlackMagic Design, and Hollyland items, just to name a few. We have taken this time to start manufacturing some products that we think everyone will be excited about. Look for announcements soon. Our hours remain the same: Monday-Friday 10am-6pm.
Swing on into the jungle and take a look at some of the latest and greatest fixtures in the demo room! We currently have the KL panel, KL Fresnel from Elation, and the ETC 4WRD COLOR!!!
2. Shipping is slower!
We have all experienced our amazon items not coming in the promised 2-day prime shipping during the pandemic. Well, this is true across the board. In fact, it was not until recently (April 6th) that FedEx and UPS reinstated guaranteed delivery times for Next Day Air ONLY! Throw in the mix the class A driver shortage, unprecedented port traffic, and rising fuel cost. This is bound to become more of an issue. All this to say, please allow for extra shipping time for all packages.
3. Manufacturers are tapped out!
This is in both personnel and products. We all made cuts in the past year to survive, and manufacturers are no exception. Many manufactures did not restock as heavily, they cut lagging or legacy products, they held planned product releases so current inventory would not be devalued, and they made personnel cuts. What this means for us is a possible new product avalanche and longer handling times than before. We are seeing 2-3 day lags before ordered items are shipped on free freight and ground orders. Please be patient and plan for this or be prepared to pay for expedited shipping if you need something fast.
In addition, many items are backordered. Manufacturers did not restock as much when things sold out in 2020 and are now running low or out of stock on some products. A compounding factor for manufacturers is the Chip and LCD shortage, which, if you haven't heard, is affecting all electronic manufacturing. Backorders and scarcity for everyday items like TVs, cars, and computers are building, and you can bet that our industry will be hit hard by these shortages in the months to come.
4. Price increases!
All we have to do is look at the cost of a 2x4, a section of steel pipe, or gas to know that the cost of raw materials is way up. The same thing applies to almost all of our products. Manufacturers are starting to hand down price increases, so be prepared for some adjustments in the months to come.
Not everything is doom and gloom or higher prices. We are hearing and seeing more and more shows being booked, venue schedules filling up, and people getting back to work. The future is bright, and we are happy to find our new normal and to partner with you in yours.
- Seth Scott, Head Chimp
