Were you waiting a long time for patio furniture this year? You were not alone.

• COVID-19 influenced home buying trends
• Some supply difficulties got better, others will remain

The pandemic proved to be a double-edged sword for patio furniture retailers; driving demand and making it difficult to meet those expectations.

“It’s been about a 16-to-20-month experience of a heightened business in this industry where people are staying home and buying more products for their home,” Dan O’Brien, general manager of Wickerland, told Kelowna10.

Around this time last year, there was an increased demand for things like barbeques, fire tables and general patio furniture.

O’Brien speculated families may have used money saved from commutes or travel to instead improve their homes. Plus, the extra time spent at home made people reevaluate their space.

But all those purchases pinched international supply lines. Factory closures, increased costs for raw goods, and political tariffs made selling outdoor fixtures more difficult.

“In the last 12 months, I’ve never seen supply issues like we’ve seen them,” O’Brien said. “The first year of the pandemic was the hardest and last year was the most stressful for those conditions.”

Before COVID-19, he’d never seen a product with a ‘no ETA’ label. But during lockdowns, it became routine.

While he did say the cost of raw goods has improved, many of the impacts caused by COVID-19 won’t be fixed immediately. Next year, he expects retailers will still face supply issues.

O’Brien said while the last year was a challenge it did promote some positive change in the retail industry.

“A lot of people are able to order ahead and pick up. That’s not something that’s ever going to change because of safety.”

He added that those programs can create job opportunities. Plus, the uncertainty of physical locations being open forced businesses to improve their online buying experience.

This also benefitted small businesses. O’Brien provided the example of how major brands like Yeti, can sell their products directly online but still partner with small businesses like Wickerland to fulfill the order.

“I think these things are ways that we can grow, and it always forces us to change. To be challenged is always a very good thing.”