In recent weeks, you may have noticed a trend in the news. A microchip shortage has halted the production of new cars, the cost of building a new house has spiked and the shipment of outdoor furniture is severely delayed. Why?

As restrictions are lifted and normalcy inches closer, we’re spending at an unprecedented rate. Our homes and yards are growing, so the demand for quality, durable products like Yardbird outdoor furniture has exploded. However, material suppliers, factories and shipping ports are still catching up to this demand.  Last year’s lockdowns caused all three to operate at lower capacities, making them unprepared for this rapid resurgence in demand. On top of that, the pandemic is still having a major impact across the globe, so shutdowns at factories and ports continue to extend delays for many products in high-demand.

For the moment, the highest quality materials are also in the highest demand. We source from Indonesian teak farms, where each tree is replanted once harvested. This means our supply is limited to the time it takes each tree to reach maturity. Unsustainable options are out there, but we refuse to support deforestation. Virtually every industry is experiencing some sort of shortage in their supply chain.

Factories and ports are disrupted for a few reasons. After operating below full capacity for so long, they’re now struggling to return to normal and meet new demand. Recently, a major COVID-19 outbreak caused Yantian port, the third largest in the world, to temporarily shut down. When the port reopened at 20% capacity, the several-mile-long line of inbound container trucks sat idled for multiple days and could take weeks to catch up.

Even domestic ports like the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California are experiencing extreme projected delays. As of today, carriers are experiencing delays of up to 100 days before an offloaded container can be loaded onto a train at this port.

In short, the extended lead times on Yardbird products are due to a global supply chain disruption shared by the entire industry.  Because we oversee every aspect of our business from manufacturing to delivery, we have greater visibility into these disruptions and can actively work to manage them in real-time. Other retailers are simply at the mercy of their distributors and don’t have the same visibility into where their product is or when it will arrive.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these unprecedented times!