As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the logistics industry continues to be felt around the globe. Whether your retail construction project is delayed because building materials are unavailable, or you have to completely reimagine your construction plan to accommodate an unexpected event, the shipping burdens caused by the pandemic continue to impact project management.
Looking ahead to what we hope will be a decline in COVID-19 cases and one day, a return to “normalcy,” there are several positives to look forward to. Until then, here’s a breakdown of what’s causing shipping delays, the issues faced by companies planning retail construction, and how to make the best of the current global crisis as you plan and execute your construction projects.
What’s Causing Shipping Delays?
Supply chain disruptions and shipping delays became a global issue in early 2020 around the time of the Great Toilet Paper Shortage, which probably seems like ages ago now. At the time, many factories in China began shutting down, lockdowns were enforced around the world, and social distancing guidelines were enforced.
At the time, we also saw labor shortages, a major increase in demand for goods (including, but not limited to toilet paper), and massive disruptions and bottlenecks across entire logistics networks, all of which resulted in higher freight costs and shipping delays, which we’re still feeling the effects of to this day.
Issues Caused by Shipping Delays
With the shipping delays we continue to see caused by COVID-19, many companies planning retail and construction projects are having to rethink their projects’ strategies.
For example, some businesses have to pre-order construction materials for buildouts far in advance, then need warehousing to store their materials until their projects begin, so it becomes necessary to locate warehousing, and potentially incur more costs.
The Shipping Solutions Ground Force Provides
While we can’t solve global shipping delays, we can make dealing with their impact less stressful for you. If you find yourself in a situation where you need support for your retail construction project, our team of logistics experts is here for you, with:
- Transloading and warehousing in every major city across the United States to store your construction project materials until they’re needed
- Per-skid and weight-based warehousing rates for short-term and monthly fees
- Delivery of your construction materials to the site
- Scheduling flexibility to work around ever-changing construction timelines and avoid delays to your project’s completion
- Support to ensure your buildout runs as smoothly as possible
As with all our retail construction projects, when you choose Ground Force Logistics as your trusted logistics partner, you’ll benefit from a worldwide network of carriers to get your project essentials from point A to point B, safe handling of your goods, the smartest logistics technology available, and entire logistics team at your fingertips to keep your project running as efficiently as possible.
Whether you’re building or renovating a new retail location or planning a new fixture rollout in these continually trying times for the logistics industry, we’re here to support you. Get in touch about your retail construction project now—call (212) 964-4700.