There are four supply crises that the industry is currently experiencing and that are causing supply problems that could last a few months. A fact that could mean that some of the precious Christmas gifts may not arrive on time. The outbreak of the pandemic has left bottlenecks in global chains that have resulted in a rise in energy prices, a rise in the cost and scarcity of raw materials, a lack of microchips and semiconductors and transport and logistics problems, with a significant increase in freight costs and a lengthening of delivery times.

"There is a bit of scaremongering", says Àlex Goñi, president of the trade sector at Pimec, the Catalan SME association. Traders will start their most intensive stretch of the year, going from Black Friday to Christmas, amongst doubts and rumours about the sharp rise in the price of products and stockouts.

Coinciding with the month in which nightclubs and bars are reopening in Catalonia and many other areas, such as the Balearic Islands, and after over a year and a half closed due to covid restrictions, New York gin Seagram's has run out of stock in Spain. As ARA has learnt, the reason has not been the strong demand after pubs and nightclubs reopened, but supply chain problems experienced by industry worldwide and which this sector has not been able to dodge. "We are having difficulties transporting, like most companies," say spokesmen for the multinational in Spain, who point out that as stock arrives it is distributed. Spokesmen have not been able to specify what the delay is. Be that as it may, several nightclubs consulted by ARA have confirmed that the gin arrives in dribs and drabs.