The mainstream media keeps trying to put a happy face on the "temporary" shortages, but an industry insider has let me know what is really going on behind the scenes.  This particular insider runs a grocery store in Maine, and he says that things are as bad as he has ever seen.  In fact, he says that he has "never seen anything close to what is happening now".  The email that he sent me the other day greatly alarmed me, and I asked him if I could share it with all of you.  He gave me permission to do so, as long as I didn't use his name.  I haven't received an email this startling in a long time.  As you read this email, I think that you will quickly understand why I am saying that…

I'm self employed for 25 years, now, independent IGA affiliated grocery store in coastal Maine.

Supply issues are real! My supplier has limited us on orders for about a month now (limited the physical number of cases we can order)

Their issue is/was mainly the help crisis in their warehouse … order pickers and truck drivers. Same story everywhere, I know. Many of the items your reader commented about in this article are the same here … very limited gatorade, and gallon water is sketchy at best. Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't. I've not seen many supply issues in produce, rather poor quality issues there.