[texan]

Also keep in mind that when places are buying from factories direct, there is a minimum order to meet. Tack shops are not buying a lot of extra right now because of the economy and are probably taking longer to meet order mins.
They also probably consolidate orders to save on shipping when importing them.
So if they give you an estimated ship date that probably allows for them trying to meet mins. I import stuff all the time, not tack, but other stuff, and this is how it generally works.

[Melissa.Hare.Jones]

Everybody has to anticipate demand and they have to do it at least a year ahead of when the products are due to sell. Manufacturers have to make an educated guess about how many x's they'll be able to sell to distributors. Distributors have to make an educated guess about how many x's they'll be able to sell to retail stores. Retail stores have to make an educated guess about how many x's they'll be able to sell to customers. And with the economy fluctuating - ESPECIALLY for non-essential items like horse stuff - it's become increasingly difficult to make those decisions. Even Mother Nature gets into it... cut down on the warm weather fly population for a couple years and the fly sheet/mask/boot/spray purchases go down, so it trickles all the way back to the manufacturer who doesn't make as many in the third year, when the fly population natually explodes and leaves everyone with backorders... same thing with mild winters and blanket manufacturing... or trends in tall boots vs half chaps, or wool coats vs soft shells, or navy and black ONLY vs other fabric colors, etc.

It amazes me how planners and buyers ever get it right in the first place!

And, for sure, no tack store wants a ton of inventory sitting around these days, whether small shop or giant net retailer. It's just stupid to buy, buy, buy when you don't know if the customers are going to be doing the same from season to season.

[ybiaw]

I know that my company didn't want to order more product to be made late in the year to help with our year-end numbers. So at the beginning of the year, new orders were placed for the spring and they take about 60 days. Add onto that Chinese New Year for those whose products are made in CN, and BOOM - out of stocks.

[cowboymom]

Clothing is always a year or so off but I was really surprised to see in the last six months that everything I was ordering for the local feed store was getting backed up. Everything was backed up. I think a lot what happened was that the delivery routes changed and we are a small guy so got bumped out. We started getting product late and frozen a lot which isn't good for vet products. Feed orders were backordered and I"m sure they provided for the bigger stores instead of the smaller stores.

I've seen a HUGE change since the election was over and it may not be PC to say it but I think a lot of businesses just changed their way of doing things after the election. That's what I've seen firsthand.

[mroades]

It is not just equine products...my local very nice Super Wal Mart has been out of 4-6 products that I buy regularly for 6 weeks!!!!!!!!!

[soloudinhere]

It is not just equine products...my local very nice Super Wal Mart has been out of 4-6 products that I buy regularly for 6 weeks!!!!!!!!!

exactly. Seasonal or not, from ben and jerrys to saddles, of things I have tried to purchase this week at least 80% have been out of stock, ships in 2-6 weeks, etc.

If this is the way retailers are going to behave in the "new economy" then I guess they'll be going out of business, because if you don't have inventory to sell then you don't have a business. It seems to me that knowing you'll have a 2 month delay in orders in order to improve your year end numbers, is a surefire way to hurt your profits for the following year? I mean, that is 1/6 of your selling year with no product?

[cowboymom]

Exactly-we were trying to be retailers, ordering in stock from our venders, and the VENDERS did not have the product to send us.

Do you understand the difference between a vender and a retailer? We can order it all we want but if the venders don't send it...? What can we do? Search for other, then we're not getting the brand that people want and heaven help us if the price goes up...

[mroades]

not trying to be a pita...but it is vendor

[mroades]

Oh, and I went laptop shopping last night, finally decided on one ( i am a terrible final decision maker) at Best Buy...of course the one I picked was out of stock!

[atr]

Im old enough to have been through this a few times... we are coming out of a recession, people want to buy stuff. Inventories/manufacturing are down because no one was buying stuff during the recession.

Building materials are going to get interestingly scarce in the next few months, expect prices to increase quite a bit.

[mroades]

bandaids, and vitamins??? And frozen omelets?? Gum???

[4Martini]

Building materials are going to get interestingly scarce in the next few months, expect prices to increase quite a bit.

I got "trained" on the way to work on Friday by a huge freight train full of lumber. It's been a long time since I was held up by lumber. I really think building is picking up. A few sub divisions that stopped 5 years ago are starting up again.

[mswillie]

Scheniders is out of stock of basically any sheet in size 75-84. No stock, expect more in MAY. That doesn't do me much good, does it?

Have you tried ebay? I just checked and there appears to be plenty of turnouts. I didn't try to buy one so I can't be sure that the sellers have all the sizes in stock but it's worth a look.

Went back to take a closer look. I own this turnout:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TuffRider-16...item3f21eff114

I've had mine for three years and I'm happy with it. They're lightweight but my horse stays nice and warm under it. Unless it's really bitter cold I rarely use anything else. For the price, if it were to self destruct tomorrow I got my money's worth out of it. In my opinion they do run a little small. I have a 78 and it works but my horse has a more QH build and if I buy another I'll go up to an 80.