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Items With the Biggest Shortages Right Now

Winter is coming, and with it - the holiday season. It’s just about the worst time for any shortages, yet they are upon us. Getting the items you need for your home means grabbing them when you see them or missing out potentially for the next few months. Stores across the country are selling out of certain things faster than they can restock.

From go-to food items for your holiday feast to tech Christmas gifts, shortages on the most essential items of the season are at risk of ruining the holidays. People from all over the country are scrambling to find what they need.

Last year, there were some pretty significant shortages on numerous items, but this year is looking even worse. The 2024 dockworkers' strike, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the climate crisis are creating shortages of everyday products. Not to mention the fact that we're still facing the effects of COVID four years later. Even after experiencing a pandemic, we haven't learned anything because people are still panic buying and creating shortages of their own.

If you are out shopping this time of year, here’s a list of shortages you should be aware of.  Crossing these off your list may be more difficult than you imagined. Let’s take a look!

Toilet Paper

Toilet Paper

In 2024, we are once again in a toilet paper shortage because of people panic buying without any real threat. The 2024 dockworkers' strike caused people to think there would be a shortage, so they cleared out stores. Local retail outlets are out of toilet paper nationwide.

In reality, most toilet paper comes from domestic manufacturers, so the strike will not affect production. Hopefully, suppliers will get stores stocked once again soon. And let this be a lesson to us all about panic buying.

Bananas

Bananas

Bananas have been affected by the dockworkers' strike and will continue to be. Bananas were immediately impacted by the strike because they are only shipped by boat because air travel is too expensive. 

Because bananas also have a short shelf life, stores were unable to stockpile before the strike began. So, it's going to become extremely difficult to find this staple at any grocery stores in the future.

(markobe/Adobe Stock)

Bottled Water

Bottled Water

Hurricane Helene not only had devestating effects on the region it hit, but on the rest of the country as well. Residents of the region were left without clean water because of destroyed water lines and treatment plants. That leaves bottled water as the only option.

As a result, bottled water has been flying off shelves, creating a shortage. Worries of the dockworkers' strike have also caused people to stock up on bottled water, although it shouldn't actually be affected by the strike.

Beef

Beef

Beef is not the healthiest option but it is the most delicious one. From steaks to burgers, stew to stir fry, there are so many delicious uses for beef. But with a shortage of beef happening in stores across the country, you’ll be saying “where’s the beef?” before you know it.

According to the Wisconsin State Farmer, the US cattle herd numbers have dropped to the lowest since 1951Beef is experiencing record prices, and 2025 is projected to have a worse shortage. You definitely want to stock up now on beef while you still can.

(U.S. Department of Agriculture/110303_CNPP_LSC_0146/PDM 1.0/Flickr)

Sriracha

Sriracha

What an oddly specific item to be on this list, but it's true. Sriracha hot sauce cannot be kept on shelves. It started in 2023 when a drought in Mexico caused a chile pepper shortage. 

As soon as the hot sauce returned to shelves, Huy Fong Foods had to halt production once again. In 2024, climate conditions caused the peppers used in Sriracha to fail to ripen in time for harvest.

(Mike Mozart/Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce/CC BY 2.0 DEED/Flickr)

Tampons

Tampons

There is a shortage of tampons this year that is now affecting women in the United States. Many of the top brands and retailers are now just acknowledging the shortage after complaints from customers. It was also brought to attention by media outlets like Time.  As a result, prices on tampons have gone up significantly, as much as 29%. 

It seems the shortage has arisen from a supply deficit in materials used to manufacture the products, including cotton and plastic. They had been in high demand since the start of the COVID pandemic, but things have gotten even worse. The scarcity of materials due to the war between Russia and Ukraine and a Texas drought has inhibited the steady supply of feminine hygiene products. 

Yui Mok/PA Images/Getty Images

Pet Food

Pet Food

Although you may not have too much trouble finding pet food at the major pet supply retailers like PetSmart or Petco, smaller businesses are struggling to keep up their inventory of pet food. Prices are going up for these businesses and that’s getting extended to the customer as well.

So why is there a shortage of pet food? Well, that has to do with the resources needed to make the pet food in the first place. Meat, soya and corn are all in short supply right now, which has brought down the production of pet food. That being said, it’s probably best to give your pet only what they need and not keep them filled to the top.

(Image via Unsplash)

Soda

Soda

Right now, you can see plenty of empty shelves in the soda aisle and that’s usually not a problem. The soda shortage comes from a shortage of carbon dioxide. That's a strange thing to hear, but it's the truth.

It's unclear how long the shortage will last, but in the meantime stores are having difficulty keeping soda and sparkling water on the shelves. Maybe it's not the best drink for your health, but we sure do miss it.

Semiconductors

Semiconductors

Nerds may only know what these are but this shortage really affects everyone because everyone uses some kind of electronic device on a daily basis. Semiconductors are included in various types of devices which you may know as computer chips. Currently, there are not enough being produced to meet the demands of the industry.

The short supply of semiconductors has led to the shortage of new video game games consoles, while also affecting the auto and mobile phone industries. Gamers are suffering from server delays preventing performance.

Diapers

Diapers

Bad news for parents: there’s a diaper shortage. You may have started to notice this already, but when it comes to shopping for diapers, the shelves aren’t quite full. A decline in diaper production is going on now thanks to companies facing a shortage of labor. This is not good considering how many babies are out there that need diapers.

Of course, there are alternatives. Some parents use reusable diapers that can be thrown in the washer. This is better for the environment and obviously more cost-effective than buying huge packs of diapers every month. It can also be a faster way to potty train young children since they are more aware when they have soiled themselves.

Chicken

Chicken

Chicken is just about one of the healthiest sources of protein and if you are going to eat meat, it’s the best one you can eat, besides fish. Chicken works well in so many dishes and you can make it taste like pretty much anything you want depending on how you season it.

The downside is an increasing chicken shortage currently due to climate-related issues, labor shortages, and disease outbreaks. Because the available supply has been reduced, chicken prices are skyrocketing. 

(Sakurai Midori, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Eggs

Eggs

Eggs have had a tumultuous ride over the last few years, jumping from a reasonable price to sky-high. Of course, as with most things, supply and demand has had a major impact on the price of eggs. But the biggest factor throwing this market into disarray is avian flu hitting poultry farms across the country. 

Unfortunately, many farms have been forced to cull their birds which greatly affected the supply of available eggs for sale. This means those cartons of eggs are now costing us a small fortune! It's definitely not great news for anyone wishing to make breakfast in peace, but we've all got to do what we can to ride out this egg-tremely unusual time!

(Moving Moment/Adobe Stock)

Sterile Water

Sterile Water

Those who work in the hospital field have noticed a massive shortage of sterile water. At first, this may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a massive issue. Sterile water is used for IV bags, injections, and irrigation. It’s also used for humidification in low-flow oxygen therapy.

Overall, it’s used in a lot of places, and the shortage is hurting those in the medical field. The stock has dropped below 50% (according to Becker’s Hospital Review), and we’re one emergency away from not having enough sterile water to keep operating. The medical field isn’t where you want a lot of shortages.  

(Image via thekopmylife/Adobe Stock; balsamic/Adobe Stock)

Gas and Diesel

Gas and Diesel

We’ve all seen how gas and diesel have become exorbitantly expensive. Gas prices during the pandemic hit a dollar and sometimes even cheaper, but now? Now, we’re looking at paying nearly $6 per gallon in some states! That’s tightening many people’s budgets, but what’s happening?

A big part of it is the war between Russia and Ukraine, and there’s not a lot America can do about it. The average person in the states is stuck with few options. The panic has caused a lot of people to stock up on gas, sometimes using dangerous methods that could cause a catastrophe.

Sugar

Sugar

India was the second largest producer of the world's sugar until last year when it banned sugar exports. The country made this choice to fulfill its own domestic demands after a bad growing season, but the world is feeling the ramifications.

India's ban is expected to continue into 2025, forcing the US to rely on Brazil's sugar exports. However, Brazil is dealing with its own low yield, creating high prices and a serious shortage.

(Laurentiu Iordache/Adobe Stock)

Wheat

Wheat

Wheat is another export that is suffering due to the Russa/Ukraine conflict. Ukraine is a huge export of wheat and corn, but production and export has been severely impacted by the invasion by Russia in 2022.

Bread product prices have increased greatly, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Ukraine has reportedly increased their grain exports in 2024 and are on track to continue increasing into 2025.

(Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock)

Oranges and Orange Juice

Oranges and Orange Juice

Disease and poor weather conditions have affected both Brazil's (the world's largest producer of orange juice) and Florida's (the second largest producer of orange juice) orange production. Citrus products have taken a serious hit.

Usually orange juice providers have frozen stock built up (which is good for two years) in order to deal with shortages. However, there has been a shortage for three years, so stock is lower than ever.

(Andrii/Adobe Stock)

Nurses

Nurses

Products aren't the only thing experiencing a shortage in the US: essential jobs are as well. Before the pandemic, there was already a bit of a shortage of nurses in hospitals, but COVID certainly made it worse, and the field has not recovered.

According to research conducted by the University of Arizona, 67% of nurses under 30 have considered leaving their job within the next two years. Among the issues cited are moral distress and a lack of support. KGW News says that the vacancy rate of nursing positions has risen from 8.2% in 2017 to 15.7% in 2024.

(Image via Unsplash)

Drivers

Drivers

There has been a significant shortage of drivers in recent years. Drivers are getting fed up with frustrating working conditions, long hours, and on top of all that – low pay. The aging workforce is also beginning to retire, and shipping companies are struggling to fill the positions left open.

As goods become even more in demend, truck drivers are needed more and more. This is especially noticeable during the holiday season as everybody orders and impatiently waits on their Christmas gifts to arrive. 

(Image via Unsplash)

Teachers

Teachers

It goes without saying that we’ve had a teacher shortage for decades now, but lately, it’s gotten a lot worse. Low salaries, high stress, and a wave of retirements drove the shortage. COVID directly affected the field, and it has not recovered four years later.

On top of that, with the recent events in Texas and other parts of the nation, some teachers just don’t feel safe. The teacher shortage is getting worse and worse every year, so schools are having to offer higher salaries, sign-on bonuses, and referral bonuses. Unfortunately, not all schools can do this.