So you’ve stocked up on meat? Good luck finding a freezer

We’ve had toilet paper shortages. We’ve sanitizer shortages. We’re in the middle of a meat shortage. Now, we might be having a freezer shortage.

How Washington has managed to avoid food shortages during crisis

Like fans on the first hot day of the year, you cannot find a freezer anywhere right now. Not at the big box stores, and not at your neighborhood appliance store. They are sold out and back-ordered across the country.

It’s been like this for over a month, as people have been preparing for potential food shortages.

“You have people today that are buying freezers that would never buy a freezer,” said Albert Lee III, president of Albert Lee Appliance.

“I have friends that just called me a few days ago and asked ‘what do you have in stock right now?,'” he added.

His answer: “Nothing. Zero. Why didn’t you call me a month ago?”

Lee said his stores took orders for 60 freezers in about three hours last week when news of possible meat shortages came out.

It’s the same story for Judd and Black Appliance. Sales manager Chad Kvangnes said you can’t find them anywhere. They are all on back order.

“I liken it to the toilet paper at Costco,” he said. “They just went away pretty darn quick.”

Washington cherry harvest in coronavirus crosshairs

If you want one, Kvangnes said, you can get one, but you might have to wait a month.

“If you order one and you give us a down payment on one, you’re definitely in line for when they come in,” he said.

And when you think of freezers, you probably think of simply storing meat. Albert Lee said his younger customers aren’t thinking meat.

“I’m going to load this thing full of frozen pizzas,” is what one client said.

“I never thought of that,” Lee said.

Frozen pizza and hot pockets: That is the hamburger and pork of 2020.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully