Why You Might Have Trouble Getting the Refrigerator, Can of Paint or Car You Want

From makers of cars to appliances to paint cans, U.S.

manufacturers are falling behind on demand for goods that Americans are buying up as the Covid-19 pandemic drags on.

Factory production of consumer products has largely recovered after shutdowns this spring related to the virus crippled manufacturing across the country.

A surge in home-improvement projects has left paint producers with not enough cans and appliance makers short on parts to produce refrigerators, kitchen mixers and washing machines. .

“We do not have the inventory on the new side or the preowned side to meet the demand that’s out there,” said Mike Jackson, chief executive for.

Some manufacturers with big consumer businesses, including.

Production of long-lasting consumer goods, like appliances, trucks and furniture, was down nearly 50% in April from January levels, according to data provided by the Federal Reserve.

And the pent-up demand should help keep sales robust into next year, some executives say.

After widespread plant closures this spring, manufacturers began bringing workers back in late May under new safety protocols, many scheduling overtime to make up for lost production.

factories were back to a normal level of production, but by then, demand had also bounced back faster than many had expected, depleting inventories and creating a bigger supply gap, executives and retailers say.

a major paint manufacturer, has experienced a surge in orders for one-gallon paint cans as consumers look to repaint chipping walls or change colors, Chief Executive Michael McGarry said.

The company and other paint manufacturers have struggled to find enough paint cans to make the shift.

factories rely on parts from Mexico and other countries where restart efforts have been moving slower and factory staffing is still a challenge, said Jim Peters, the company’s financial chief

In response, Whirlpool has been signing contracts with new suppliers and expediting shipping—flying parts to factories that would have otherwise been delivered by truck, he said

The company said it now has about a two-month backlog of orders, significantly longer than it had before

Appeared in the October 26, 2020, print edition as 'Manufacturers Struggle With Demand Factories Fall Behind on Popular Items.'