Two new shocks for American shopping

VISITORS TO A big supermarket in America these days could be forgiven for feeling disoriented. From one angle, all-American consumerism is on full display, with throngs struggling to steer overflowing trolleys. Retail sales (excluding cars) rose at a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.8% in August, compared with July, the fastest since March. Other images, though, look distinctly unAmerican. To their horror, some shoppers see empty shelves where their favourite brands of biscuits, detergents and loo roll typically sit—the result of supply-chain disruptions as outbreaks of the infectious Delta variant of covid-19 shut factories and ports around the world.Unlike early in the pandemic, when shops were stripped bare by panic-buying, America’s consumers mostly have alternatives to pick from. But the shortages are a sign that things in the country’s $5.6trn retailing industry are not back to normal. If the supply shock weren’t enough, retailers must also deal with demand from shoppers once again keen to stroll the aisles rather than scroll through apps. Having survived the initial pandemic upheaval, shops are in the throes of another.