No supply chain, no worries – this is why it pays to buy local

You can see it in every store in town. Be it Kmart or Big W, be it Bunnings or Ikea. The shelves are empty. Currently out of stock- notes are everywhere. Covid-19 has exposed how dependent we are on global supply chains. It was toilet paper at first, followed by pasta and everyday items. Now the supply chain issues have hit the bigger companies and the production streets. Kitchen repairs are on hold. New kitchens are not getting delivered. Parts are out of stock. No supply chain, no worries – this is why it pays to buy local. Read on, to learn more:
Stephanie* is a single mum of two boys. It was early August when she arrived to see her Butler home flooded. Water everywhere. She did all the right things; instantly turned off the mains water and called her landlord; the insurance and took pictures of the damage. She even by hand removed the water to avoid further damage.
But, six weeks down the track, not much has changed. Her kitchen is still a mess, the floorboards are swollen and popped, partly ripped out. The good news is she does not have to pay rent because the house is not liveable. But: Where else is she supposed to live. Not for a couple of nights but for weeks with no end in sight. There is no affordable rental available on casual rent. She cannot semi-permanently move in with parents and friends.
Supply Chain is Broken
The Landlord, Mike, is just as unhappy. Does he know Stephanie is still living in the rental? Of course, he does and he does not blame her. Has tried all to help her he could come up with. Even rolled up the sleeves and came down to move some of the furniture out of the way to avoid them getting damaged. But the one thing he cannot do is, fixing her kitchen, laying new floorboards.
Mike has talked to his insurance and to his kitchen supplier as well as to the flooring company. He met with the flooring company at the rental. Just the answer he is getting is the same: Mate, we have no stock. The flooring store is out of stock. Actually, all three stores are. The kitchen store is too. The cause is, of course, the Covid-19 Pandemic. Due to Covid-19, the supply chains are broken. Literally.
Dependent on China
COVID-19 has exposed the fact of how dependant on China we really are. Entire industries find their supply chains cut off and their workflow interrupted, put at hold because there are no materials. You have noticed the ordinary shippings from the East coast taking forever. Some online shops don’t even accept orders from their Chinese suppliers any more. They take too long. There is no doubt, ‘Buy local’ has never been more popular.
China’s market dominance puts everyone at risk that depends on global supply chains. But there is good news amidst this mess: The good news is the local businesses thrive in the post-covid-19 mess. The workshop around the corner, the guy that still produces in Wangara, does get those jobs now that were previously were shipped in cheaply from Asia.
It Pays To Buy Local
As for Stephanie and Mike, we put her in touch with Furniture Design Studio. They work locally. They produce local and they use local products. What that means: No supply chain issues and hopefully Stephanie has a new and working kitchen again soon.
No supply chain, no worries
We here at Dianella Polishing spray paint these new kitchens locally. So the lesson learned from it all is: No supply chain, no worries – this is why it pays to buy local. It pays to buy local. Don’t just go to Bunnings, Ikea or any of the big chains that import their materials from China. Buy local, shop local. Get quality work made around the corner. In time. If you have no supply chain, then there is no supply chain issue. And the good side effect: No nasty chemicals either. Nice! Easy! Local!
Wangara Partners Ready for Business
So if you need your kitchen fixed or considering a new kitchen before Christmas – give us a call on 9303 2176 to see what we can do for you. We produce around the corner in Wangara. As does our cabinetmaker and our partner companies: We work local. We have our paint and boards ready for your design. No supply chain, no worries – this is why it pays to buy local.
*Names changed for privacy reasons
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