Supply chain woes: Shortage of glass bottles could make wine and spirits hard to get for the holidays

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During the holiday season, Americans love to get together with friends, eat, and in many cases, drink. Liquor stores have their biggest revenues on New Years Eve, Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving Eve, with sales up 159%, 151% and 130%, respectively, Womply reported.
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However, supply chain difficulties this year could make it harder for people to get the wine and spirits they want, CNBC reported. David Ozgo, chief economist of the Distilled Spirits Council, told CNBC: âSome of the big distillers, even though they have multi-year contracts for millions of bottles, in some cases find that they have to choose which bottle sizes they want. they’re going to get.
This means that if you are looking for a Christmas stocking or a small gift, you may need to choose a larger size bottle. Ozgo added that the shortages could lead to a tightening of supplies of smaller bottles, as suppliers are more likely to focus on the more popular 750ml. and 1.75 liter bottles.
To combat the problem, some distilleries are switching suppliers and shipping methods to get glass bottles faster. As the price of sea freight increases – sea containers cost between $ 6,000 and $ 20,000 – some distilleries are relying on air freight to reduce delays or are looking for closer distributors who can transport by rail.
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Distilleries and wineries are also making other adjustments, such as placing orders two years in advance and raising prices to account for additional costs.
Waterloo Containers, based in New York, supplied its customers with nationally made bottles of wine and spirits and, as a result, filled double the usual orders. While the company drastically increased prices for imported glass bottles, domestic bottles saw smaller increases due to higher transportation and energy costs, Waterloo president and owner Bill Lutz told CNBC. .
For consumers looking for their favorite wines and spirits to celebrate the holidays, there is no need to panic just yet. However, if you prefer a specific size bottle, limited edition gift, or specific drink, you may need to allow yourself more time to shop and visit a few stores. Ozgo recommends taking the opportunity to try a new brand of alcohol, noting that there are over 16,000 spirits products on the market.
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