OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — If you're designing your dream home, you might be excited to decorate. But with the current supply chain crisis, furniture store owners say there are all sorts of issues plaguing the current market, such as extended wait times.
"The ETAs are constantly moving over COVID. It started as one-week ETAs, then one month, two months, four months — it's just a constant battle," said Erin Kodjo, who co-owns All Nations Furniture with her husband, Amos Kodjo.
"We're looking at eight months, six months, and some of them are a year," Hearts & Fire Owner Lori Kirkpatrick said.
There's also price increases. Vendors are paying more to get products and build them, so stores are paying more to get them. Those price hikes end up trickling down to the customer.
"Little by little, it's gone higher and higher and higher. So something that used to be $599 is now $999," Erin Kodjo said.
Factory closures in China and Vietnam are partially to blame, says the U.S. Commerce Department, culminating in delays.
There is also a constant battle of getting customers' orders.
"Some things just completely get discontinued altogether because manufacturers can no longer get them, so it's been a real issue," Erin Kodjo said.
"We get nervous because, OK, we have to call our customer and say 'OK, it's going to be another month.' 'Cause we have no control and our vendor really has no control either," Kirkpatrick said.
These are all consistent conflicts on the "home front" with Kirkpatrick estimating a universal price increase of about 10% over the last two years.
"There's pretty much about every piece of furniture you can think of from accessories to cabinetry to upholstery, everything's gone up a lot," Kirkpatrick said.
Amos Kodjo recommends customers compromise during tricky times.
"You can't wait for six months with no furniture in the house, in that case, we're gonna have need over desire," Amos Kodjo said.
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