REPORTING – Between supply problems and fads, it is almost impossible to find certain products as Christmas approaches.
“I’m sorry, we don’t have any morePatrick apologizes, even before knowing what we’re looking for. This sentence, the sales consultant at Lego repeats it all day long. However, at first glance, the shelves of his shop in the Joué Club village on the Boulevard des Italiens (2nd arrondissement) seem well supplied. Corn “the camouflage is obvious»Continues Patrick, “If you look closely, you see that there are the same references everywhere”. Indeed, these are the exact same Lego boxes that fill entire shelves. The desperate salesperson explains to us that they only have the few models that are on display on the shelves. Their reserve is empty.
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“At the beginning of November, we already didn’t have muchHe adds. According to him, these stockouts are due to supply difficulties linked to the disruption of maritime transport since the Covid-19 crisis. The price of containers, in which toys are transported, has risen sharply. And the economic recovery does not help the disruption of the sector. “VSIn recent months, delivery volumes have continued to decline. On orders of 15 pallets, we received 11, then 7, until we reached 2 during the last delivery last Thursday»Deplores Patrick.
“My little pony, Spider-man, Bakugan”
In front of the Lego store, at La Maison du Jouet, Guillaume is a little less embarrassed than his colleague. In his shop, which brings together toys for “dchildren from 5 to 12 years old», He has a little more choice. “But there are a lot of references missing»He admits. “In the girls’ section, My Little Pony is a hit, I don’t have any anymore. In the boy’s department, these are the Spider-man toys and the Bakugan“.
Guillaume observes that most children have the same desires, they want “trendy toys“. “Obviously, these are the ones that quickly ran out of stock, so we try to guide the children towards similar toys.»He says. “But when they really want a product, they’ll order it from Amazon, even if it means paying three times as much. That’s a shame»He declares. Guillaume says the store is making good numbers as Christmas approaches. At the checkout, the long queue of customers with arms full of gifts bears witness to this.
“It’s at the level of deliveries that things get stuck”
On the fifth floor of the Galeries Lafayette, the one intended for children, the emptiness of certain shelves is obvious. Here again, the Lego are missing. “It is at the level of deliveries that it gets stuck»Slips a manager. She shares an anecdote, told by her colleagues, about the out of stock of the famous small bricks of the Danish brand: “The Lego do not come from China, but the bags in which they are transported do. And it was these bags that caused the complications in the supply. It’s still funny»She confides in an ironic tone.
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Some of the many customers don’t want to laugh. “In fact, you have nothing left?Asks a lady who has come to buy gifts for her grandchildren. A salesman, looking a little embarrassed, invites him to go to another shop, near Châtelet Les Halles. “You just have to look, indeed, we have almost nothing leftHe said pointing to the bare shelves. A little further, the dolls department. Those for training in hairdressing are in great demand: “Got a few last week, haven’t had any for a month»Slips an employee,«people asked me every day“. But all are unanimous, it is a special year.