The Global Chip Shortage Threatens to Ruin Christmas

News outlets worldwide keep reporting on the current year-long chip shortage that seemingly won’t improve anytime soon.

How could this affect your Christmas shopping?

According to Alan Priestley, a semiconductor analyst, the shortage will undoubtedly make it more difficult. 

Semiconductor chips are building blocks of various products (e.g., smartphones, digital cameras, electric cars, toothbrushes, etc.). So, if you’re looking to buy your family some of these products, you may struggle to get a hold of them or even have to pay extra.

Priestley stated that some items we could easily find before might be hard to come by this year. So, it might not be the best idea to leave Christmas shopping for the last minute. 

Another problem Priestley points out is that the products we use on a daily basis don’t use just one chip. Take your phone, for instance. Smartphones nowadays include many power control chips. 

And some things are already out of stock! For example, Google’s Pixel 6 Pro is hard to find, and so is the wildly popular PS5. 

Add bots to the equation, and shopping for electronics becomes even more challenging. The regular folk are forced to fight the swarm of automated bots some people use to grab popular items as soon as they become available online. 

Additionally, some people use bots to corner the market by purchasing these items and then reselling them at a much higher price. So, don’t be surprised if you find the Xbox you’ve been dreaming of on Facebook Marketplace for much more than the recommended retail price.

When you sum it all up and consider Priestley’s recommendations, you should stay flexible this year. And don’t hesitate too much! If you find what you like and think the price is right, get it before it’s too late!