New numbers from Datasembly find that “at retailers across the U.S., 40% of the top-selling baby formula products were out of stock as of the week ending April 24...”
They say that national out-of-stock levels jumped nine percentage points, from 31% to 40% between April 3 and April 24. That's up sharply from 11% in November.
Datasembly CEO Ben Reich tells CBS News, “this is a shocking number that you don't see for other categories.”
“Supply-chain snarls related to COVID-19 are contributing to the shortage of formula around the U.S. They include manufacturers having more difficulty procuring key ingredients, packaging hangups and labor shortages, with those factors combining to affect production and distribution. In addition, a major baby formula recall in January exacerbated shortages....
In six U.S. states, more than 50% of formula was out of stock as of late April. Parents in Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota are grappling with severe shortages of 50%-51%, according to Datasembly. Out-of-stock levels are even higher in Missouri (52%), Texas (53%), and Tennessee (54%). At the same time, between 40%-50% of baby formula products were out of stock in 26 states.”