HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Matthew Belliveau, the owner of Bella's Books, Comics, and Toys, says he makes over a quarter of his yearly profits during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"Christmas comes once a year. And I look forward to it every year," said Matthew Belliveau as he stocked his shelves for the holiday season.
But continued disruptions along the global supply chain are making it difficult for the local business owner to get the inventory he needs.
"When they announce [a toy] this year, it's more than likely not going to come out until next year, because they're still fulfilling all those back orders previously that were impacted by the global supply chain," said Belliveau.
Shipping expert and Old Dominion University Professor Richard Ungo said the supply chain still hasn't fully recovered since the height of the pandemic and is now facing new challenges like labor shortages. He said while some items that arrived after last Christmas will be in abundance this year, some of the hot new toys will be in short supply.
"If you are looking for toys there will be toys," said Ungo. "But if you are looking for a specific toy, then you may have some problems."
This is certainly the case for small business owners like Belliveau, who have an overstock of items they hoped to have in time for the holidays last year, but now can't get the newest toys released this year.
"Last year where we were getting Christmas stuff in March," said Belliveau. "For this past Halloween, we ordered plenty of stuff, and it didn't arrive until after Halloween. It's such a gamble."
Belliveau said it is particularly difficult to get in toys surrounding recent TV and movie releases, like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
"We do have the Black Panther Funko Pop!s," said Belliveau. "I ordered what's called a MasterCase. But I only got a third of that. Suppliers are shipping out what they can. So if you want the Black Panther Pops, I would get them now before it's too late."
Getting toys before it's too late, according to Professor Ungo, is the name of the game this holiday season. But expect to pay more.
"There will be higher prices," he said. "The volumes are coming but also as a byproduct of the inflation of the pandemic, the costs went up. And then that will drive prices up. Then that will be a decision for the consumer."
But with popular stores like Walmart and Target facing similar supply chain issues, shoppers may have better luck finding specific toys at area small businesses.
"While their shelves might be empty, ours are going to be full year-round," said Belliveau. "We're going to be taking shipments as late as Christmas Eve. But shop as early as you can, especially during Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. A lot of your local mom-and-pop shops are gonna be offering sales as well. So definitely take advantage of that."
Belliveau said there's nothing like bringing a little kid into a true toy store.
"It's a kid in a candy store, essentially," said Belliveau. "There's not a lot of toy stores out there left. So for kids to be able to go to a unique place, it's always a joy to see the kids come in and see something different."
Bella Books, Comics, and Toys can be found in Virginia Beach at 1385 Fordham Drive.
