Empty shelves are largely a thing of the recent past, as even ammunition has reappeared. However, baby formula is in severely short supply.
Our survey of grocery stores confirmed reports from around the country. Baby formula is in severely short supply and baby food shelves are between 2/3 and 1/2 empty, with many products completely out of stock. This is exacerbated by steeply rising prices for baby formula. The image below shows a baby formula shelf in a Chandler Walmart.
Parents we spoke to expressed concerns about getting formula for their young children and told us about their budgets being squeezed by the price increases.
The shortage, which first manifested itself in early 2020, appears to be a result of still lingering lockdowns and a recent recall of tainted baby formula by Abbott. Abbott accounts for more than 40% of all baby formula sold in the United States. Also, a shortage of truckers impacts the entire baby formula supply chain. In fact, the total US labor force is still slightly below pre-pandemic levels, despite population growth.
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