5 Products That Are Hard to Find​​ and Why​ Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

5 Things That Are Hard to Get Right Now and Why

Surging demand and climate change are driving some supply chain woes

Getty Images At and drugstores, some shelves are empty. Waiting lists for other items can drag on for months. And some things are just not available for purchase at all. ​ Everything from climate change to supply chain snarls has created disruptions and left customers searching. Since the start of the pandemic, consumers have seen shortages of eggs, toilet paper, bikes and more. While many supply issues have resolved over time, ongoing or new disruptions are frustrating retailers and consumers. ​Here’s a look at some of the items that are difficult to find right now: Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

​1 Sriracha

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images For months it’s been a challenge to track down that bright red hot sauce known as sriracha, and the scarcity hasn’t abated. Climate change–induced crop shortages crippled northern Mexico’s harvest of chili peppers, which sriracha’s producers use to make their distinctive and much-loved hot sauce. Restaurants, grocery stores and consumers have had a hard time getting their hands on the addictive condiment. In an April letter sent to customers from the leading sriracha production company, Huy Fong Foods, executives said that drought conditions affecting the quality of chili peppers had made it impossible to produce its products. The company said many purchase orders would be on hold until September and refused to accept any new orders over the summer. When reached by phone, a Huy Fong Foods representative confirmed there is still a shortage of sriracha. Jason Marston, ecommerce manager at Sonoran Spice in Scottsdale, Arizona, a company that sells sriracha to retail and wholesale customers, says he is still receiving out-of-stock notifications for many sriracha products. The shortage has had a ripple effect, he says. “Shortages have had flow-on effects beyond the original Sriracha brand,” Marston says. “It caused an increase in demand for alternative brands and products.” Droughts in Mexico early this year lowered the yields of red jalapeño chili harvests there, according to Guillermo N. Murray-Tortarolo, who studies climate and ecosystems at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Red jalapeño chili peppers are a featured ingredient in sriracha. Murray-Tortarolo says Mexico is likely to face more severe droughts through early 2023, which could create a longer-term sriracha scarcity. “If Huy Fong foods still relies its Sriracha production on jalapeños from the region, it is likely we will see a new shortage by the end of the year,” he said in an email. . ​ At the start of October, about 59 percent of baby formula products were still out of stock nationwide, according to Datasembly, a firm that tracks product pricing and supplies. Baby formula hit a peak of 86 percent out-of-stock levels in late May, according to Datasembly CEO Ben Reich. ​ “The inventory situation is still in a difficult position, but our data demonstrates that the manufacturers and the full supply chain are hard at work to restore inventory levels,” Reich says. ​ The government implemented a range of reforms to help alleviate severe formula shortages over the summer. The Biden administration invoked the Defense Production Act to give formula makers more access to ingredients and packaging to increase production, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture adapted its program for low-income mothers to allow purchases of a wider range of formula brands. ​ AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe ,” Caldwell says. “I think your 2022 inventory should improve, but it’s still going to be tough. There’s just so much demand.”​ In August, the average new car price was $48,301, a 10.8 percent increase from the same time in 2021, according to Kelley Blue Book. ​ Both Toyota and Honda have announced they will not be able to meet production goals for late 2022 because of chip shortages. Semiconductor chips are crucial to the functioning of many electronic features in cars, such as automatic braking and dashboard touchscreens. ​ These trends have affected the as well. Used car prices decreased in the last two months but continue to far exceed pre-pandemic levels, according to the consumer price index. ​ Kelly Anderson is a contributing writer who covers features and political issues. He has written for DCist, the Society for Human Resource Management and Georgetown Magazine. ​ MORE FROM AARP AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Restaurants offers > See more Travel Planning offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Groceries offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS