Planning to replace your kitchen refrigerator or add a stand-alone freezer to the basement for extra storage? Be prepared to wait.
Appliance retailers say their industry is one of many feeling the effects of the pandemic, with supply chain disruptions and heightened consumer demand adding up to big delivery delays.
“The new normal is an extended wait period to receive your merchandise. What used to be a two-day fulfillment schedule can now be two weeks or more,” said Robert Warner, president of St. Paul-based Warners’ Stellian Appliance Co. Inc.
While refrigeration products seem to be most affected, Warner said, the retailer is seeing delivery delays across a range of appliance categories. As manufacturers trim their product lines, some models just aren’t available, he added.