Halloween shopping could be harder this year because of supply chain shortages

October 7, 2021 6:48 PM

Vanessa Perez,

Posted: October 7, 2021 6:48 PM

Updated: October 7, 2021 8:30 PM

by Vanessa Perez

SPOKANE, Wash.–Halloween is still weeks away and you should shop for costumes and decorations a little earlier this year.

That’s because retailers say they’re facing supply chain shortages.

Halloween Express in Spokane says it heard back in January it could be hard to get items this year. So, they ordered a ton of merchandise earlier.

There are a few reasons for the shortage: lack of truck drivers, containers for merchandise and offloading at ports.

“There are certain items that we just haven’t been able to get. Talking to my vendors, and some of them haven’t even gotten the merchandise to their facilities, so they can’t get it to us, so shipping costs have gone up, and then the shipping time from them to get the merchandise with them most of it comes from China,” Halloween Express owner Craig Walter said.

The store is short on some decorations, certain marvel costumes, and talking animatronics.

They have 60-percent of what they ordered, and are not sure if they’ll get the rest in time.

“I don’t think it’s going to get much better. We are getting more shipments as I can find stuff that some of our vendors have, so I expect to get a few more shipments between now and the end of October, but I don’t expect that we’ll get a lot of the stuff, especially the newer stuff. It just probably won’t get here,” Walter said.

He says you should shop earlier and if you see something, get it because it might not be there if you wait on it.

Also, be prepared to adjust and get creative if you cannot find the costume you want.