An Important Update Regarding Orders & COVID-19

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Kevin Johnson

A year ago, we never would have expected the COVID-19 pandemic to wreak total havoc with our normal way of life. From stay at home orders and business shutdowns to the undeniable toll on health and lives, this pandemic has completely changed things for many across the country.

Unfortunately, those same disruptions continue to this day. Even with the introduction of an effective vaccine, we are continuing to see COVID levels spike across the country. While our own problems may pale in comparison to those who have lost jobs or loved ones, Kitchen & Bath Authority has been affected and is continuing to be impacted by the virus.

Here is what you should know regarding where things stand (for now) in regards to your online orders in light of the current pandemic.

Disruptions Throughout the Supply Chain

COVID cases are spiking throughout the country, as well as internationally. This is resulting in major disruptions in almost every stage of the supply chain. For example, an outbreak in a factory could cause shutdowns that temporarily limit stock of select items. While this aspect isn’t as extreme as when widespread manufacturer shutdowns caused massive shortages at the beginning of the pandemic, it is still a recurring issue.

What has become far more common in recent weeks and months are outbreaks and disruptions at other stages of the supply chain. Many products are manufactured internationally, and then shipped overseas via containers. However, increased demand for a wide range of products, combined with the pandemic, has led to record delays in container shipments.

In fact, one recent study found that less than one in three ocean shipments arrived on time to the United States in November 2020. The study found that delays weren’t just getting more frequent — they were also getting longer. The Chinese New Year holiday period is expected to result in even greater delays in getting shipments across in a timely manner because of the seasonal closure of factories.

Once products arrive in the United States, they aren’t immune from pandemic-related disruptions, either. We’re seeing warehouses and distribution centers suspend operations due to COVID outbreaks among workers. UPS actually suspended its Service Guarantee at the start of the pandemic because of COVID-related disruptions and an increased number of people placing online orders from home.

Needless to say, as much as we would like to guarantee a fast and timely delivery, these circumstances beyond our control have made it so this isn’t a possibility. While we are doing everything we can to get orders processed and sent out in a timely manner, there is no telling what issues might come into play along the way.

What Comes Next?

Here at Kitchen & Bath Authority, we understand how frustrating order delays can be. We’re doing everything we can to ensure as timely of a delivery as possible. All orders placed on our website are processed upon receipt, after which we perform credit verification and send info to our distributors to get the order shipped out.

Normally, this means that orders are shipped within 24 to 48 hours of receipt, as long as the items are in stock. Items shipped via UPS should receive a tracking order from UPS. We email tracking orders to you as soon as they become unavailable.

If you haven’t received a tracking number five business days after you placed your order, you are welcome to email sales@KBAuthority.com for updated order status. While this is a rarity in normal times, COVID is making such delays increasingly likely.

From what we’ve seen firsthand, an order could have a tracking number created by UPS, but then spend several days sitting on a truck without going anywhere due to COVID issues with available drivers or the distribution center.

Unfortunately, at that point, there isn’t much we can do to expedite your order. It all depends on how quickly our shipping partners can resolve their COVID issues and get back on the road.

While we can’t control what happens during the shipping process, one way to avoid extended delays is to check stock availability on our website when you are placing your order. No matter what item you’re interested in — whether it be a barn door or a bathroom vanity — you’ll see the number of units currently in stock highlighted in green on our site.

Items that don’t have a stock number listed have low stock or are out of stock. Before attempting to place an order, we recommend that you call our support staff to confirm whether stock is available, as well as how soon additional items will be ready. Double-checking that an item is actually in stock will help ensure expedited arrival of your order, even if there is still the potential for delays while in-transit.

Getting Through This Together

Here at Kitchen & Bath Authority, we have always prided ourselves on our ability to provide timely shipping and quality service, while still delivering discounted prices that help you create your dream home.

While the pandemic may be keeping us from getting orders delivered as quickly as we would like, our commitment to quality products and service remains the same. You can continue to find discounted prices on bathroom and kitchen products from leading manufacturers throughout our site. Special discount codes, our exclusive membership program, and free shipping on all orders combine to make your purchase even more affordable.

We understand how it can be frustrating when your order doesn’t arrive as quickly as you expected. Our support team is always standing by to help address your questions and concerns.

Most of all, we hope that the vaccine rollout will help life get back to normal for all of us sooner rather than later.

How COVID-19 is Affecting Availability For Bathroom Vanities and More

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Kevin Johnson

It’s been several months since COVID-19 first began to spread on a global scale. At the time, some thought that any interruptions to daily life would be temporary, and that we’d soon be able to move back to our normal way of doing things.

Now, however, it is clear that we still have a long way to go before things truly return to normal. Even as many states have lifted their stay at home orders or loosened social distancing guidelines, cases have spiked in several parts of the country.

The result is that more people are staying home and finding themselves thinking of ways that they can improve their house. It’s a perfectly normal response to everything going on in the world right now. You may not be able to control the pandemic, but you can control your house by upgrading the bathroom vanities or your shower enclosure.

We at Kitchen & Bath Authority haven’t been immune from the effects of the coronavirus, either. Availability issues continue to impact many of our products. Here’s a closer look at how we got here, and where we stand moving forward.

More Than Just COVID-19

The current stock issues we’re seeing across the industry are largely a result of COVID-19 disrupting the global supply chain. Many bathroom and kitchen products are sourced from China and Vietnam, areas that have been hard-hit by the pandemic. Factories in China were shut down for several weeks, and even though restrictions have been lifted in most areas, it has been hard to get production levels to return to normal.

Even after certain areas had restrictions lifted, factories were unable to return to normal production levels right away because many employees lived in areas that were still subject to stricter lockdowns.

Another part of the problem is that in a global pandemic, many countries have placed strict limitations on imported products. Even when items can be manufactured, getting them shipped to the United States in a timely manner remains a significant challenge. Worldwide restrictions have affected demand and caused many factories to be less productive than they would normally be.

Factor in the recent reappearance of the coronavirus in Beijing, and it is clear that a full return to normalcy is still a ways off.

In reality, though, current product shortages are actually an extension of previous issues that popped up before COVID-19 shutdowns took place. The coronavirus outbreak and its associated lockdowns surged in China around the time of the Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest holiday. While the official holiday period is about a week long, many factories will shut down for 10 to 14 days to give employees time for travel.

During this two-week period, pretty much every factory in the country is completely shut down. Production grinds to a halt. In a normal year, bathroom vanity manufacturers and others often face temporary shortages after this period, even when they try to plan ahead and order extra stock before the holiday.

Combine a two-week holiday period with weeks of strict lockdowns, and it is easy to see how this could create ongoing availability issues for vanities and other bathroom and kitchen products.

Trade wars and tariffs are further complicating matters. Concerns about how a trade war between the U.S. and China would affect prices on a wide range of products was a major worry over a year ago, and the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t made things any easier. Now, increased tensions spurred by the coronavirus are causing additional fears that more complications to this trade war may be on the way.

The ever-shifting nature of the trade wars caused many bathroom and kitchen product manufacturers to begin looking for ways to diversify their supply chain to avoid increased costs. Unfortunately, this is a process that takes time, and often leads to a temporary slowdown in manufacturing. Many companies were still in the midst of this process when the coronavirus struck, forcing them to put plans on hold and further slowing down manufacturing.

As you can see, while COVID-19 has certainly created a lot of problems for manufacturing bathroom vanities and other products, it has also complicated other issues that were already affecting overall availability.

What Items Are Available?

Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind is: What items are actually still available to purchase? Shortly after the outbreak, we saw a big rush on TOTO washlets as toilet paper shortages swept the nation. These washlets are still backordered, and we expect stock issues to continue for a while with them.

At the same time, ICERA offers a similar bidet seat attachment that works great and is not experiencing the same level of stock issues. The ICERA S-11.01 iWASH S-11 Electronic Bidet Seat in Glossy White includes features like an instant water heating system, self-cleaning nozzle, built-in deodorizer, an LED nightlight, and more. If you don’t want to wait to get a bidet seat, this is the best option for getting a quality product sooner rather than later.

Bathroom vanities are another product category that have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 disruptions. However, some brands are handling the issues of supply and demand better than others. While pretty much every bathroom vanity brand has experienced some sort of supply issue, Avanity, Fresca, and James Martin seem to be doing better than others.

While availability is still limited compared to normal, these brands do provide an excellent variety of vanities that could work for several different styles. For example, the Avanity MASON-V48-BKG Mason 48 Inch Vanity Only in Black with Gold Trim MASON-V48-BKG MASONV48BKG offers a sleek, contemporary look.

Fresca also primarily has contemporary vanities available, like the Fresca FCB31-301230ACA-FC Formosa 72 Inch Floor Standing Double Sink Modern Bathroom Cabinet in Acacia Wood Finish, though more traditional options like the Fresca FVN2302GR-CMB Hartford 24 Inch Gray Traditional Bathroom Vanity are also still available.

James Martin perhaps has the best current availability for traditional or classic-style vanities. Pieces like the James Martin 500-V48-HON Malibu 48 Inch Single Vanity Cabinet in Honey Alder and the James Martin 238-105-V72-CWH Providence 72 Inch Double Vanity Cabinet in Cottage White are just two examples of the varied traditional vanities that are still available.

Other categories, like kitchen faucets and shower doors, are also experiencing shortages, but not as severe as bidet seats or bathroom vanities. Still, as with these other product categories, certain brands and products are in shorter supply than others. If you’re planning a renovation project, your best bet is to place your order sooner rather than later so you can get the items you want.

The ever-changing situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic means that our stock situation is changing all the time, as well. While the brands mentioned above are doing better than others, supply is still relatively limited, and we are already low on stock of several of these brands’ products. That being said, we do expect the overall stock situation to gradually improve going forward as more brands resume operations and the supply chain gets back to normal.

With everything that is going on, we are working to keep our website as up to date as possible so you can have a clear idea of what is currently available. If you have questions about a specific product (particularly items listed as “low stock”), we recommend that you call our customer support line.

Our team can give you more specific information about the item you’re interested in, including backorder status and how soon we expect to have more stock available. We want you to have accurate, up to date information so you can place your order with confidence — even if it means you won’t be getting it as soon as you normally would.

Hope For the Future

As dire as things may look for many people right now, we are still confident that things will get better. Many places are learning how to go back to work safely so that needed products and services can still be provided during this unique time in our world’s history. Once producers get used to this transition, things should stabilize.

While we expect stock issues to continue for the foreseeable future, we are hopeful that the stock situation should improve significantly (and hopefully be relatively normal) by September. Despite current challenges, we still have a good supply of many items across several product categories. Our wide selection ensures that even if your first pick for a bathroom vanity or kitchen faucet isn’t currently available, you’ll probably find another option that you love just as much.

Many of the things our customers love about Kitchen & Bath Authority are still readily available. You still get free shipping on your orders, and we offer easy, hassle-free returns if there is an issue with your product. Many of our products are available at significant discounts off MSRP, allowing you to save hundreds — and sometimes even thousands — of dollars on each purchase.

If you sign up for our lifetime membership program, you’ll also unlock additional savings, enjoy expedited order processing, and have access to exclusive deals that aren’t available anywhere else.

Your house will still be standing after the COVID-19 pandemic passes. For some people, home renovation projects have helped provide a sense of control and accomplishment during uncertain times. We hope that even with current availability challenges, we can help you find what you’re looking for.

How the Coronavirus Could Impact Your Bathroom Products

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Kevin Johnson

The coronavirus has been dominating headlines for weeks. A rising number of infections and deaths, paired with massive quarantines in China, has sparked concern across the globe, especially as new cases are found in the United States and elsewhere. While all of this is concerning on its own, the impact of the coronavirus goes well beyond the risk for illness and disease. Because the outbreak is centered in China, it is also having an impact on global manufacturing — and that could very well affect your bathroom products.

China’s Current Status

Currently, an estimated 73,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed, with 1,874 deaths. While that number may seem relatively small, that is actually a significantly higher fatality rate than influenza. Fears over the disease being able to spread quickly from one person to another have led to work closures and strict quarantines.

Just how big is the disease’s current impact on China? The New York Times estimates that 150 million Chinese citizens — roughly ten percent of the population — is under some form of lockdown. At the same time, roughly 780 million people within the country are dealing with travel restrictions.

According to CNN, “The cities of Wuhan, Huanggang, Shiyan and Xiaogan have completely sealed off all residential complexes and communities, while the use of non-essential vehicles on local roadways is also banned. Residents in each city receive daily necessities from neighborhood and community committees as they are not permitted to leave their homes.”

While such widespread restrictions seem like they should help limit the spread of the virus, there is no denying just how much this can impact daily life for people living in China. In many places, the normal daily routine has essentially ground to a halt.

Manufacturing Woes

China is a hub for global manufacturing. Everything from video game consoles and mobile phones to bathroom vanities and sinks — many of the products that we use every day — come from China.

The coronavirus outbreak came right in the midst of Chinese New Year, a period when many factories close for up to two weeks. To circumvent this, many companies that depend on these suppliers adjust their orders and shipment schedules so that they will always have plenty of stock on hand.

Unfortunately, with the coronavirus’s impact, many of the factories that would normally have reopened have remained shut down several weeks longer than normal. Even though some factories are beginning to reopen, the country’s quarantines and travel restrictions are making it incredibly difficult to get things back to normal.

An NPR report that looked at the current state of factories found production lines that are typically staffed by 4,000 people having only a dozen at the factory. A big part of the problem is that many factory workers work in cities far from their homes where they spent the New Year’s holiday. A large number of these individuals are now restricted from returning to their place of employment. Those who are allowed to return are still subject to a 14-day quarantine before they can go back to work.

This is a widespread issue. An AmCham survey found that “While about 90 percent of the 109 U.S. manufacturers in the Yangtze River delta expect to resume production this week, 78 percent of them said they don’t have sufficient staff to run at full speed…nearly half said their global supply chain had already been affected by the business shutdown.”

Thus far, the most highly publicized global supply chain issues are those related to technology. Video game giant Nintendo has already confirmed that the coronavirus will cause shortages of its popular consoles in Japan, and other reports indicate that this shortage could soon spread worldwide. Apple’s shares dropped significantly after the company admitted that coronavirus disruptions will affect iPhone supplies.

How This is Affecting Bathroom Products

While bathroom products may not be as big of a headline-maker as tech devices, these manufacturing woes are hitting our industry, as well. We’re already seeing major back orders on products like vanities, tubs, and sinks as containers fail to reach manufacturers because of the coronavirus-related delays.

With bathroom products, many items are designed stateside, but then manufactured in China. Alternatively, many bathroom products that are assembled in the United States have their materials sourced from China. Either way, the coronavirus is poised to potentially disrupt the supply of new items needed for bathroom remodeling for months to come.

The plight facing toy manufacturers can help put the idea of a shortage on bathroom vanities and sinks in perspective. One manufacturer recently told the Los Angeles Times that production has dropped by 60 percent, and as a result, they can only fill partial orders to retailers, saying “if a retailer wants 100,000 pieces, we’re giving them 15,000 or 20,000.”

The Los Angeles Times article noted that many of the factories that have reopened in China don’t have access to the raw materials they need for manufacturing, and even completed products may not be able to get shipped because of the current travel restrictions. Analysts estimate that the full impact of “missing” items will be felt closer to April, as current stock at stateside retailers runs out.

Bathroom vanities, tubs, and sinks are larger and more complex than toys. They require far more material resources to be produced, and because they are more expensive, they tend to be ordered in smaller quantities. If toy retailers are only getting shipments of 15,000 to 20,000 toys when they originally ordered 100,000, you can be sure that bathroom product manufacturers and retailers are receiving even fewer items.

Once supplies run out, there is no telling how soon these items will be back in stock. We still have no idea how the coronavirus will spread, or how long it will take Chinese factories to get back up and running at full capacity. The only thing that seems certain is that there will be shortages and delays for bathroom products and other consumer goods in the coming months.

Adjusting Your Remodeling Plans

As previously noted, so far we’ve been seeing back orders for vanities, tubs, and sinks — but this isn’t to say that shortages and delays won’t start affecting other bathroom products like medicine cabinets, shower doors, or toilets.

Unfortunately, because we don’t have any way of predicting how long or how severe shortages will be, there is no saying when products that are typically manufactured in China will be back in stock after manufacturers run out of their current supply.

This means that if you were planning to use your tax refund to help cover the cost of your bathroom remodel, you’d better get started right away. If you wait too long, the vanity you’ve had your eye on for completing the look of your bathroom could soon be completely out of stock, with no ETA for new shipments.

Even if you weren’t planning to get started on your bathroom remodel for another few months, it is probably still a good idea to finalize your product selections and place an order as soon as possible. Many shortages aren’t expected to fully impact consumers for another few months — but that means if you wait to buy what you need for your remodeling project, we could be out of stock by the time you’re ready to get going.

We know how frustrating it can be when you have major plans for your home that fall through because of shipment delays or because something you wanted was out of stock. Naturally, we will be doing everything we can to stay in touch with our suppliers and ensure that we have a good number of bathroom products available so you can get going on your project.

However, we have no way of knowing for sure just how severe or long-lasting any product shortages caused by the coronavirus will be. We will do our best to keep you informed regarding supplies of specific products you are interested in, but it could be quite a while before we are able to get new stock readily available.

It may not be the most convenient to start ordering supplies before you are ready to have a contractor help you install them, but it may be what’s needed if you want to get your remodeling done on a similar timescale to what you had originally envisioned.

Planning Ahead

Only time will tell just how significant the impact of the coronavirus will be on a global scale. But it is clear that there are already major repercussions beyond the risk to human health. If you are planning to renovate your bathroom in the near future, you shouldn’t delay. The bathroom products you want or need to give your home the perfect look could be “on hold” indefinitely as the world responds to this crisis.

Manufacturing delays could push shipments back several months, meaning that once a particular product is out of stock, it won’t be available again for quite some time.

The good news is that Kitchen & Bath Authority remains committed to offering a wide range of bathroom products from top brands at affordable prices. Many of these products are available at significant discounts off MSRP. In some cases, you can save well over $1,000 on your purchase, and those who sign up for our membership program can save even more!

The current crisis isn’t going to change our ability to help you better afford your bathroom remodeling work through discounted prices, free shipping, and available financing. However, many of our products are relatively low on stock, and the number of major backorders seems to be growing every day.

If you want to give your bathroom the fresh look it needs, don’t wait. Call or email us so you can get your order placed and avoid missing out indefinitely.

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