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Sainsbury’s has been forced to postpone its annual Christmas toy sale because of product shortages.
The retailer, which owns Argos, is experiencing weeks-long delays in shipping times from Asia to the UK, and does not have enough stock to warrant a large-scale Christmas promotion as it stands.
The announcement, made by Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts, comes after i revealed that major retailers including Argos had already sold out of some of the toys and games tipped to be the most popular this Christmas, and were unsure when they would be available again.
All but four of the star products on the 2021 Dreamtoys list – a line-up of 12 toys and games retailers predict will be the biggest sellers of the season – were either completely out of stock or unavailable in some parts of the UK at one or more of the country’s largest online retailers, i analysis found.
Argos fared worse than rivals such as The Entertainer and Smyths with nearly half the products – five of them – listed as out of stock at some or all of its stores.
Commenting on the supply chain woes his firms are experiencing, Mr Roberts told the Financial Times: “On the general merchandise side, there are challenges there.
“Normally it takes 24 or 25 days shipping from Asia to the UK. We’ve seen that be north of 40 days.
“We forward-brought a lot of container capacity, so we’re confident we will get everything through that we’ve planned for. But there are some challenges.”
Mr Roberts went on to confirm that the annual Argos toy promotion would be pushed back as a result.
“Specifically, I would call out that we would normally run a toy promotion, which we have to delay this year,” he said.
Sainsbury’s said in a statement: “The Sainsbury’s toy sale will be starting next week and we’ll be contacting customers with more information soon.”
While the announcement will not be welcomed by parents anxious to secure the toys on their children’s Christmas wish lists for the lowest possible prices, it may be a cause for celebration for those who stand to profit from the shortages.
Sellers on eBay are listing toys and games that appear on the Dreamtoys list for as much as two-and-a-half times their recommended retail price, i revealed today.
Several vendors advertising products at significant mark ups confirmed that they were capitalising on the supply chain crisis and resulting product shortages.
Asked why they were listing a top-selling CoComelon Deluxe JJ Interactive Doll for nearly double its recommended retail price of £39.99 a seller cited the “lack of stock” available elsewhere.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Argos, rather than Sainsbury’s had been forced to delay its toy sale
