"New" belt loops not available?

[TigerLisa]

We have had terrible luck both with our Council store and online at scoutstuff.org with finding some of the new belt loops and pins. I am curious if we are all in the same boat? Specifically, we cannot get the Video Games BL or pin, Nutrition BL, Hiking BL, Good Manners BL, Kickball BL....the list could go on. From what our Council store tells us, they have yet to receive the first BL of some of these so-called new items. I say "so-called" because they have been out for months already! I would be willing to phone order and pay for shipping from another Scout store if I thought someone had them. Our Advancement Chair is having to become an inventory control person in order to keep track of backordered items going back three months!

[CPAMom]

Our Council had them and then ran out. We were able to get hiking belt loops in March from the Atlanta Council store. (Our Cubmaster works near it.) But by the end of May, they were out of it also. We're told not to expect to see them before July.

[UCEagle72]

Video games has been available here in Central Florida - as has Hiking (can't say about the others).

[Eagle92]

my council also has stuff out of stock and backordered from national. I've been told that national is having some supplier issues. Maybe if they were made in the USA it would speed up the process?

[ManyHats]

Our scout shop tends to be out of everything new. Besides the belt loops and pins they also have a hard time getting 100 yr anniversary patches and ribbons. I tend to check weekly and have to keep a running list of what we need.

[TigerLisa]

Okay, so it's not just us. We also keep a running list, but it's getting a little out of hand with 35 Scouts and several months of backordered items. We check weekly as well, and will continue to do that. Thank you for the responses!

[Eagle92]

Like I said, it's a nationwide problem and it's stemming from suppliers. Some of it was underestimating the number of centennial items, i.e. rings, ranks, etc, needed. Some of it is location of suppliers, ie. on the other side of the Pacific.

[trainerlady]

Eagle 92 has it pegged. I was on the available to stores site today for National Stores and found dozens of items that are out of stock until early June or longer. Some items on the list were mind blowing - how do you not have Cub neckerchiefs in stock, handbooks for all levels not in stock, and not have some sizes of uniforms on stock. Belt loops, pins and patches are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Some items were listed as having an arriving at the warehouse date of 1-2 months ago and they still haven't arrived. The slow boat must have gone the long way to the USA. Since the items aren't arriving they can't be sent to stores. Supply needs to work on its just in time delivery system. Because right now its a never available syetem.

[Shriscov]

In the Heart of America Council, KS/MO we've also not seen the new belt loops in stock steadily.

But the silver lining is that the new offerings have created quite a bit of buzz and demand, right?

 

Related question: I wonder if shipping problems have anything to do with containers for seagoing vessels--the economy means a lot less trade and things have a slower time moving without the big steel boxes...

[Eagle92]

TL,

Thanks for the update. FWIW I believe, stress believe, the reason for the necker shortage is that I've heard they are shrinking the TC one, and enlarging the Webelos one.

 

One car commercial I remember from the 80s and 90s was "BUY AMERICAN," maybe the BSA needs to review it's supply situation?

[Snow_White]

FWIW, our local shop has no Bear neckers and is saying they will not be able to get more until September. Also, they have not heard that Webs neckers are changing, but are now out of them are not currently able to order any.

 

Read into it what you will. I usually get a different story from them than what I read here.

[Eagle92]

SW,

Out of curiosity, who is usually correct?

[ManyHats]

I usually get better info here. DEs have been frustrated that volunteers know more than they do.

[Snow_White]

E92, is that a trick question? :-) In most cases, the folks here have had better information.

 

Couple of examples... They have only pulled the standard (non 2010) rank badges off the shelf in the past month; prior to that, I don't think they had enough in stock to meet the need. They told me that they had problems getting them in (which I believe, and it's not their fault), but they also told me that they were not told to pull the others and believed that the 2010 were only supposed to be "collectors items".

 

They also are still telling CS leaders and Webelos that only green unit numbers / trained strips can go on Centennial shirts.

[Eagle92]

Not a trick question, just confirming the information gathering activities of myself and others on the forums. Basically trying to confirm that my research skills learned in grad school, specifically library school, are adequate to keep up witht he constantly changing info coming out of national.