MALVERN, Iowa. (KMTV) — Tom Mulholland owns Mulholland Grocery and he says supply chain issues have been making certain products unavailable for at least a year.
"There's so many items that we cannot get and we aren't guaranteed on when our deliveries are going to come," Mulholland said.
He hasn't seen canning lids for a year and struggled to get tortillas for two weeks.
Since warehouses are facing staffing shortages with drivers and truck loaders it impacts the delivery of goods to his business.
"We normally get a Tuesday or Friday a.m. delivery and some of them has been as much as 54 hours late," Mulholland said.
The unpredictable deliveries take a toll on his staff.
"We've had people working weekends, we've had people working well into the night because we don't know when these trucks are going to come. We get late notice, here they are, we've got to get those perishables put away," Mulholland said.
Mulholland spends more time going over his orders than ever before.
"Is there another type of enchilada sauce since I can't get what I'm used to getting?" Mulholland said. "Is there another type of tortillas?"
Rachel Reis with the Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce says Mulholland's issues are nothing new. On average, things that usually take one to two weeks to receive take up to 30 to 60 days.
Mulholland says he got an email saying his next delivery will be 24 hours late.
"A lot of businesses, supply chain is really where they hang their hat knowing they can get something in quickly and timely, and be able to have turnaround and good customer service along with that, that creates huge difficulties and some huge gaps," Reis said.
Reis encourages communities to shop locally and loyally.
"Regardless of whether or not, how long it takes to get something, the more you can shop local, the more these businesses can stay open, and that's what we want to see. We know small businesses are what create our communities and they are the lifeblood of our communities," Reis said.
Those shopping habits will keep places like Malvern and Glenwood surviving and thriving.
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