Parcels jam a conveyor belt at the United States Postal Service sorting and processing facility in Boston. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption

Stuck in transit: The supply chain in disarray
A person walks in an Ikea warehouse in New York City on Oct. 15. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption
Americans are shopping more than ever before, but supply is struggling to meet demand
The supply chain is a mess. Consumers are paying the price
Shipping containers tower over the truck entrance of the Port Houston Barbours Cut Container Terminal in La Porte, Texas. Brandon Thibodeaux for NPR hide caption
Waiting on that holiday gift from your online cart? It might be stuck at a seaport
The price of glass jars to hold pasta sauce and other products has soared during the pandemic. Sauce-maker Paul Guglielmo in Rochester, N.Y., has absorbed some of the increase, but he has also raised prices for consumers. Paul Guglielmo hide caption
Cargo traffic jams affect glass bottles too. Your pantry staples could cost more
An employee organizes an aisle at Mary Arnold Toys, New York City's oldest toy store, on Aug. 2. Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Santa's sleigh is looking emptier. Fewer toys, higher prices loom for holiday season
Nicole Wolter at work at her factory in Wauconda, Ill., which makes components for industrial machines. Wolter's company is straining to meet demand as her own suppliers struggle with short staffing. HM Manufacturing hide caption
How A Single Missing Part Can Hold Up $5 Million Machines And Unleash Industrial Hell
A farmer holds soybeans from her Nebraska farm in 2019. Today, farmers are struggling to find containers that can ship their products to Asia. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Farmers Have A Big Problem On Their Hands: They Can't Find A Way To Ship Their Stuff
Shipping containers are stacked high at the Port of Los Angeles in April. Supply chain disruptions are hitting small-business owners across the United States. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Cargo Is Piling Up Everywhere, And It's Making Inflation Worse
Used cars sit on the sales lot at Frank Bent's Wholesale Motors in El Cerrito, Calif., on March 15. Supply chain snarls and pent-up demand are driving up the prices of a lot of things, including new and used cars. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption