The Shipping Crisis Is Pummeling the Footwear Industry, But Independent Shoe Stores Might Be Hurting the Most

As the holiday shopping season looms, the shipping crisis is still in full swing. Pandemic-related shipping slowdowns, factory and store shutdowns, clogged ports and worker shortages have forced retailers to seek out solutions for moving product in time for the holidays. In many cases, these methods come at a much higher price point and often involve pre-ordering product at a higher rate to account for slowdowns. On July 8, the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for him to help alleviate rising shipping costs and delays. The National Retail Federation and numerous other industry have made similar calls to action. For smaller, independent footwear retailers, coping with the shipping crisis has been especially difficult. “It’s been an absolute nightmare,” said Dave Levy, co-owner of Hawley Lane Shoes in Connecticut. Levy generally purchases inventory for his family business of five stores six months in advance from vendors. But factory shutdowns and shipping delays have made it so that orders are being pushed back every day. In some cases, Levy has resorted to purchasing shoes directly off a vendor’s website to avoid losing a customer from his lack of inventory. “Though we spend a lot of time planning our business, it doesn’t seem

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