6 Products Still Hard to Find

6 Products Still Hard to Find

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6 Products That Are Hard to Get Right Now

If you re prepping the pool for summer or craving chicken wings you might be out of luck

Maridav/Getty Images If you've found it harder to find ketchup for your burger or wood to build that deck you've always wanted, there's a reason. A combination of factors, including the , severe winter storms and a have caused massive disruptions to U.S. supply chains this year. The result is new shortages of some items, continued scarcities of others. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leanne Greer, 50, is seeing this play out at the gas pump. She recently drove to three gas stations before finding a place to fill up near her home in Canton, Georgia. People concerned about gas shortages have flocked to the pumps, making the situation worse. "I think if people were just acting normal, this wouldn't have happened,” says Greer, who saw lines of more than 50 cars at gas stations in her area. Here's a look at what's currently hard to come by and why. China News Service/Getty Images

1 Gas

Thousands of gas stations across the Southeast shut down recently after a group of hackers launched a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies nearly half the diesel and gasoline consumed by the East Coast. Demand for gas in several Southern states rose by as much as 20 percent, a sign that consumers were panicking over the prospect of a shortage, according to Allison Mac, an analyst for GasBuddy, a tech company that tracks fuel prices. “There's anxiety, and people are filling up, even when they probably don't necessarily need to,” she says. The gas distribution system had been under strain for months before the attack. Fluctuating demand for fuel had gas providers struggling to hit the sweet spot, especially after the coronavirus prompted a truck driver shortage in 2020 and low fuel demands ensued, followed by unanticipated high demands from consumers and businesses.

2 Chicken

Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > Demand for chicken also spiked during the pandemic as more than a half dozen fast-food chains joined in the “chicken sandwich wars,” adding menu offerings centered around chicken sandwiches and wings. "It will take time and effort to eventually replace the impacted hatchery supply flocks in that region, but supply should catch up to demand soon,” Super says.

3 Lumber

Lumber has been in short supply ever since spring 2020, when the pandemic and social distancing restrictions led many lumber mills in the U.S. to close, according to David Logan, a senior economist at the National Association of Home Builders. Production resumed at a much slower rate during the summer and has not been able to keep up with demand. Logan called the shortage and subsequent increase in the price of lumber unprecedented and predicted that the market will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2022. “I would anticipate home builders across the nation will take a very close look at switching from lumber framing to steel or concrete framing of homes for instances like this,” he says. Many customers are deciding to reduce the square footage of new projects and moving away from lumber finishes and flooring to save money, he adds. Westend61/Getty Images

4 Cars

A sharp downturn in semiconductor chip production has caused delays in car manufacturing just for new automobiles. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe More on home-family AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
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