There is a growing list of items that have been difficult to find this year as a number of popular products have sold out and thousands wait for months for things like washing machines and other appliances to be available.

Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, masks, pasta, canned goods, RVs, boats, paper towels, bikes, and other items have all sold out this year at one point or another. Leaving suppliers and customers scrambling to find what they need.

Exercise gear, indoor games, outdoor games, garden items, coffee, electrical goods, and reading materials.

These are just some of the items that have seen a spike in interest this year. Millions of people were forced into lockdown, to stay at home for weeks, and that meant that some would be starting to upgrade their home with things like freezer appliances or new fridges. Or they were looking for entertainment options, gardening equiptment, something to keep them busy.

Bread makers also had their moment and the cannabis market did too, seeing a rapid surge in online orders for several months. Diapers, hand soap, patio heaters, thermometers, tissues, sewing machines, hair dye, webcams, outdoor fire pits, and water filters, have all faced supply issues this year. But even for those like the toilet paper companies and appliance makers etc, it would only be weeks or months before they could get back on track to meet the uptick in business.

The market didn't fail in 2020.

The market didn't fail to bring goods to the people in 2020, it just needed time to adjust to the unexpected surge in demand for certain things. Despite all of the restriction and violence being imposed by the government at the time, and still today, with the thousands of businesses forced to close and stop operating, the market and entrepreneurs within it still found a way to try and meet the needs of everyone. Government intervention in the market would have been a complete and utter nightmare, if we had left them to sort out the toilet paper problem, the mask need, or any other supply issue.

Without using violence, entrepreneurs adjusted their strategies, reached out for help, and they found new ways to thrive and continue doing business, and because of that they came out stronger in the end. Thousands of people pulled together to create masks and donate them to front line workers, or donate extra food into community fridges to feed those who weren't getting what they need at the market or couldn't afford it.

Despite our preference to always have optimal and perfect business efficiency, these unexpected events can happen. When they do it just takes time to sort it out. We can never expect any item that we want will always be there for us on the shelves when we need it, so we should be all the more thankful when it is.

Some items are expected to sell out during the last several weeks of this year.

You might want to go and check out what they have now before they sell out of popular items that you might need. But for many they are already on lists and will be waiting well into the new year to get their hands on appliances and other items.

Suggested holiday hot goods include meat thermometers, electric wine openers, loaf pans, turkeys, and streaming devices.

COVID-19 themed christmas ornaments have also been selling out online with miniature toilet paper ornaments and other items offering a festive reminder of all that 2020 brought with it.

Pics: pixabay