Question for all

[choochoo]

For the last year or so many of the tackle items I buy have shown out of stock. Now, in the middle of prime fishing season, I’m seeing these items fully in stock. Do y’all think the economic squeeze is starting to hit home and inventories are climbing? I had read that the sporting goods sector would be one of the first to feel an economic slow down. I know myself that just yesterday I filled an online cart, then walked away before going to checkout when I thought about my gas needle that’s sitting at 1/4 tank. I’ve always been a believer that when something like this is happening in your house, it’s happening in a lot of houses.

[johnr]

Couple things at play I think.

First, when shelves went bare it was because a lot of people had time to fish (WFH), were panic buying, and of course the supply chain was completely stopped, which allowed these items to sell out quickly and take a while to restock. The outdoor industry utilizes JIT manufacturing too…

Since then, manufacturing supply chains have never completely rebounded, which has led to extra delays in restocking hot items. Additionally, the outdoor industry cannot compete with commodity manufacturers who are more than willing to pay extra so that their products and materials are produced with a preferential timeline. So the outdoor product manufacturers had to wait.

And now, they’ve managed to resupply with the help of inflation-driven suppression of discretionary spending. Supply is outpacing demand again, but only because demand has been pulled back by other factors.

So yea, I have also curbed my spending on hunting and fishing related items due to the rapid price increase in our daily, necessary expenditures. Instead of fishing 3 days a week this year, it’s been twice a month. I put my soft plastics back in the package now. Split shots get reused, hooks dried and put back in the box. I can still “afford” to fish and buy tackle, but I’m not paying inflation prices if not necessary, especially when I have no choice to pay inflation prices for the stuff I really need.

I’m saving for the recession. Once it gets entrenched, I’ll stock up on stocks, guns, ammo, fishing equipment, and whatever else I can find for cheap. Until then, I’ll use whatever I have or wait.

[hambone]

It’s tough right now for sure, but honestly I don’t think we’ve seen hard times yet.

I have really cut back myself, I don’t cut my grass now until it starts resembling a hay field, no fertilizer this year either. Planted alot more garden than I usually do, hoping to have a bumper crop so I’m able to put up a lot of vegetables.

As far as fishing goes, I’ve learned that there are plenty of fish close by to the boat ramp, no need to motor to the dam and back looking for them. Just gotta slow down and fish

[choochoo]

We are cutting. Have cut out service meals with gratuities and things of that nature. I think it will take a couple of credit card billing cycles for the spend thrifts to clamp down. I expect a slowdown at the lake after July 4th.