Major Shortages on Bikes, Boats, Cars and More in West Michigan

Governor Whitmer shut down Michigan due to Covid-19 outbreaks on Monday, March 16 at 3pm.

During the pandemic, people had to figure out what they could still do and not go crazy and that has created major shortages in West Michigan.

BIKING: The first activity people realized they could do safely as the weather warmed was Biking. And it was an activity you can do with the whole family. I got my bike out that has not been taken for a ride in 4 years and it worked on day one. Day two the back tire inner tube popped, got that fixed and then the front tire popped. Not sure why I didn't have them fixed on the same day. Witnessed first hand how the Bike Riding craze was on! And besides repairs - little bike shops sold more bikes in a day than they did last summer. As a result - No Adult Bikes for sale the other day at Walmart.

PETS: Shelters suddenly had more people wanting a pet to keep them company during the pandemic. And all of a sudden there were no more pets to be adopted. Here is one of my rescue cats named "Sailor" and oddly enough he likes the water.

BOATING: The next activity that you can do outdoors and maintain social distancing was Boating. So Kayaks, Boats of all types like Pontoons are sold out. Try to find a Kayak now. According to Marine Retailers Assn of Americas 70% of dealers are out of boats or have very low inventory.

WORKOUT GEAR: With gyms still closed - workout gear has been hard to find. Yoga mats and workout benches have sold out everywhere. And it's been really hard to find some 25 lb. dumbbells too. I was lucky enough to find a weight bench and some dumbbells and can now workout at home.

AUTOS: As the state opened back up and you were allowed to do a little more travel. New Auto sales spiked. But very quickly ran out of inventory on popular models due to factory shutdowns. Then suddenly USED CARS sales went crazy. I for one have been in the market for a used car and most of the cars I want are sold before getting to the dealership. A GM at a Buick-GMC dealer said he only has 10% on normal used car inventory. And another dealer was showing me cars that just came in on trade-in and said this used SUV will be gone by tomorrow after it gets prepped.

FOOD: With everyone being indoors shortages moved on to Food. With kids home and parents running out of ideas for dinner. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has been in short supply. I was able to buy some this week. Funny Connie & Fish on Mix 95.7 were talking about parents even serving this for breakfast.

HOUSES: With the lowest interest rates of our lifetime that's igniting home sales. New homes were not finished on time with delays for production due to workers not being allowed to work. Home resales are way up and inventory is so low. Realtors have buyers, but not enough houses for sales. It's a Seller's Market. My brother was able to score this house and closed on it last month before inventory dried up.

Some good news one thing that there is no shortage of is Champagne!

CHAMPAGNE: Surplus available and this is due to no-big wedding or graduation ceremonies. And you'll see Champagne at great prices right now. So give yourself a Toast!