As Canadians proceed to work and research from residence this fall in anticipation of a second wave of COVID-19, furnishings shops are operating low on desks and chairs and different provides for residence workplaces.
Kristin Newbigging, a spokeswoman for Ikea Canada, mentioned Monday that the corporate is seeing elevated demand for merchandise individuals must create work and research areas of their properties, concurrently abroad suppliers are battling pandemic-caused shutdowns.
Ikea has about 1,000 home-furnishing suppliers in 50 international locations. Its prime provider international locations are China, Poland, Italy, Lithuania, Sweden and Germany, a number of of which have been hit laborious by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“(When) our suppliers are operational as soon as once more, they’re receiving orders considerably above their regular demand,” Newbigging mentioned.
That demand is making a ripple impact that places further strain on manufacturing and distribution, Newbigging mentioned.
“Doing enterprise throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has offered challenges that nobody may have anticipated,” she mentioned.
Karl Littler, the vice-president of the Retail Council of Canada, mentioned it’s not notably shocking the market didn’t anticipate the massive spike in demand for home-office objects.
A lot of those that are actually working or learning from residence have by no means finished so earlier than. Some who sometimes labored from residence might have finished so with makeshift set-ups, however once they’re doing all of it week lengthy, they want extra sturdy and fit-for-purpose workplace furnishings, Littler mentioned.
He mentioned many components have come collectively to place strain on the system together with the shutdown of furnishings shops throughout the nation for prolonged intervals and the issue of transporting so many cumbersome items each to shops and to consumers.
“I believe the strain will proceed on for a couple of months,” he mentioned, however ultimately provide will meet demand.
“Furnishings shouldn’t be an on a regular basis product ? As soon as you acquire it, you’ve it.”
As extra employers ask staff to proceed working from residence, the demand for workplace furnishings will stay at a excessive stage, he mentioned, and will probably be laborious for producers and retailers to completely predict what the demand might be on an ongoing foundation, Littler mentioned.
“The regular state, as soon as it’s settled into that, might be at the next stage than was the case earlier than COVID-19,” he mentioned.
© 2020 The Canadian Press
