Hardly a day goes by when we do not hear in the news of supply shortages and price increases.
Pre Covid-19, around 85% of products we supply were generally available within a few days of ordering. Many of the products we sell include microprocessor chips, which although tiny, and not necessarily expensive, are in short supply. Add to the mix a bit of Brexit, huge container ships getting stuck in the Suez Canal and a shortage of lorry drivers, not only in the UK but across the world. The cumulative effect results in longer lead times on components, longer delivery times on finished products, as well as ongoing price increases.
Naim has just announced that their prices are to go up from December 6th, while Linn will be increasing their prices from January 1st, 2022. We have the new Naim price list already and we are expecting Linn’s in the next few days. At first glance, it appears that the increases are between 5% and 20%, but all orders placed before these dates will be honoured at the current prices. Lutron lighting prices will also go up from January along with many of the network hardware products we use in custom installation.
Lead times now have moved from a few days to a few months on many items. We are working hard to pre-plan our installations with much more forward-thinking. In many cases, we attempt to hold prices for confirmed orders even if delivery is some weeks off.
If you are thinking of any updates, or new equipment, especially in the run-up to Christmas, please do not leave it until the last minute. But talk to us so you can save extra costs and avoid disappointment.