By ANNELIA NIXON

TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER

anixon@tribunemedia.net

SUPPLY chain disruptions are forcing local retailers to rethink how they stock their businesses, with RM Bailey Park vendors being urged to secure merchandise months in advance and ensure they are carrying the brands and products Bahamian consumers actually want.

Karen Brown, president of the RM Bailey Park and Allied Vendors Association, said international shipping challenges linked to the ongoing war have affected suppliers in the United States and China, leaving some Bahamian retailers struggling to replenish popular back-to-school items.

“The difficult thing we had this year was a lot of the suppliers were out of stuff because of this war going on and them trying to get their containers in from China and them blocking these ships,” Ms Brown said. “So a lot of them didn’t get their stuff, and they keep telling me check back.”

Ms Brown said the shortage has been particularly noticeable among larger retailers, with some customers turning to RM Bailey Park after failing to find specific items at stores in shopping malls and other established retail outlets.

“A lot of people couldn’t get a lot of stuff in,” she said. “People were coming over [to RM Bailey Park] because they said they went in Sandy’s or the mall, or they went to Janaees. And I know Janaees still waiting on a container. They still have a lot of stuff, but a lot of people couldn’t get stuff in.”

The situation, she said, highlights the importance of smaller vendors being able to identify consumer demand and stock accordingly rather than simply waiting for the traditional shopping season to begin.

For vendors at RM Bailey Park, Ms Brown said, preparation has to take place well ahead of the season because The Bahamas’ dependence on imported merchandise leaves retailers vulnerable to shipping delays and inventory shortages.

“The thing with out here… you have to be shopping for every season, all the time,” she said. “As long as I’m off the island and I see something on sale, I’m going to grab it because I’ll have to put it down for whatever season comes up next.”

She said according to her own experience, shopping abroad, the same supply challenges are affecting US-based suppliers, making it even more important for Bahamian retailers to plan ahead.

Ms Brown said some vendors experienced an increase in traffic over the weekend as schools prepared to reopen.

“Saturday was good,” she said. “Some of the schools were opening that Monday. So we had a little boost. Some of the vendors aren’t even out yet. But the vendors who were out, everybody was able to make a little something.”

However, Ms Brown cautioned that supply shortages at larger retailers do not automatically translate into more business for smaller vendors.

“I hope so,” she said when asked whether the challenges faced by larger stores could drive more customers to RM Bailey Park. “But you still have to have the stuff. You still have to have the items.”

She said shoppers are increasingly specific about the brands and styles they want, particularly when it comes to school clothing.

“Some people were shopping early and they were looking for certain things,” she said. “They want Dickies pants and Tommy pants and this and that and the next and apparently the stores in the mall don’t have them.

“These children now, they don’t want regular pants. So that’s the thing. You have to step up the game. Whatever people ask for that’s what you have to try bring in.”

She added: “They want Tommy belt. They want name brand. They don’t want the regular stuff no more. So I guess we have to just change the way we shop.”

Ms Brown said retailers cannot afford to wait until demand peaks before ordering merchandise, particularly for products that may be difficult to source during their traditional selling season.

“Some things you can’t find out of season,” she said. “But what you have to do is after the season, shop and put down.”

For products such as bags, Ms Brown said she has increasingly looked beyond the United States and ordered merchandise from other countries well ahead of time.

“What I got out of the country, outside the US, you have to order them ahead of time. You don’t wait,” she said. “You have to really do it in advance because it take months and months and months, but at least you get it here on time.”

Ms Brown said this has become necessary in an environment where international shipping disruptions can leave businesses waiting months for merchandise.

“You have to go outside of the box,” she said. “That’s what I realize you have to do, and just wait on that time.”

Ms Brown said the strategy can be financially challenging, particularly for smaller businesses that have to carefully manage limited cash flow.

“Sometimes it leaves you high and dry because you shopping out of season,” she said. “But that’s what you have to do. So you have to make that money run and do a little here, a little there.”

Despite the supply challenges and concerns surrounding inventory, Ms Brown remains optimistic about the overall back-to-school shopping season.

She acknowledged that the rush may initially appear slower than expected, but said experience has shown that consumers tend to complete their back-to-school purchases as the school year approaches.

“It’s going to be good,” she said. “Trust me, people have to get the kids ready. It probably may start out slow, but they always come through at the end,” she said. “I can give it to you now. It sometimes it looks scary, but in the end, it will come through.”