Getting certain toys under the Christmas tree may be a little more difficult this year.
Keeping the shelves full of toys is something some local toy store owners such as Rebecca Vergara, owner of Learning Express Toys in South Huntsville, said they're working each and every day to do.
"We're doing the best that we can to bring in product and keep our shelves stocked and full, so we have placed orders a long time ago to get stuff in," Vergara said.
A shipping container shortage has made it more difficult to get certain popular toy items, like Legos, into stores. As a result, toy store owners like Vergara are having to be extra mindful of their inventory.
"It's just taken longer," she said. "It's taken longer for us to get product in. When it used to take maybe a week, it's taking us maybe two to three weeks to get product in stock."
Vergara said the perks of being a smaller business is she can order toys in smaller amounts each day. She said because of this method, she's confident that, come peak holiday shopping season, they won't see any inventory issues.
But, she's still telling her customers these three things: "Shop early. Shop local. If you see it now and it's in stock, go ahead and purchase it now."
"You might come back next week, and we may not have it in stock, we may be waiting for more to come in. That's just the way the game is being played this year," Vergara said.
