CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of the best parts of heading back to school is picking out a new backpack and filling it with school supplies.
But you may notice at some stores, it is slim pickings right now. Your student's school supply list may be harder to check off this year. Let's connect the dots.
Experts from Global Data Retail say companies that make school supplies are facing the same supply chain issues we're seeing for other products.
They are short-staffed, and because of the pandemic, they are having a harder time importing products from overseas. That's leading to a shortage of everything from backpacks to laptops.
One of the toughest things to find right now might be your child's back-to-school wardrobe. Parents did not buy a lot of clothing for kids last year because many of them were learning from home.
Now clothes are flying off the shelves as kids have completely outgrown their school clothes from 2019.
All of this doesn't mean your kid will have to go to school without pens and pencils or a new pair of jeans. The reality is, they just may have fewer choices when picking their school supplies this year.
And families will like need to be flexible in the months to come. Experts estimate these shortages could be an issue until 2022.
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