Not that I need any more cricket kit, but ….. I was looking for a pair of Masuri Pads recently, and I was asked by a couple of people if I could get them a Gray-Nicolls bat as they said they were struggling so I did have a look and wow!!! Hardly any manufacturer has any stock!!!
I am NOT picking on my friends at Masuri or Gray-Nicolls here as the story is the same across every manufacturer I looked at, and ditto the many online sales channels.
The well is well it is well and truly dry!
Talking to Gary at Williamson Boucher who it should be said have stock, this is far from normal. There would be some logic in stock levels being low once the season had started, but for so many companies to have next to no stock is shocking really.
Brexit or Pandemic?
Bit of both in all honesty. Brexit has without doubt made it harder and more expensive to get ‘stuff’ into the UK, but the main contributor appears to be the Pandemic. Is taking longer for the huge tankers to churn their way from China at 16 knots an hour now they have to avoid the Suez Canal, adding 4,000 miles to their journey, but (and this is an issue I a) don’t see as being new or b) resolving anytime soon) no carrier likes to return empty handed and many tankers are waiting until they have enough product to warrant setting off.
Could be a long wait, but fortunately I really am not looking for anything new – well part from the pads that is!!!