- A confluence of factors, from an unusual freeze in Texas to surging demand to ongoing supply chain issues, have created a paint shortage and a price surge.
- Sherwin-Williams has been candid in investor calls that it foresees additional "pricing actions" to cope with rising input costs.
- Producer prices for painting and coating manufacturing rose 10.6% in August from a year ago, the biggest annual jump since January 2009.
- How long the disruptions will last is a matter of debate among policymakers and economists.
In this article
A customer pushes a shopping cart past paint samples inside a Home Depot Inc. store in Louisville, Kentucky.Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Home improvement is getting even more aggravating as a lack of supplies and higher prices are making life more difficult for do-it-yourselfers.
Take paint, for instance — if you can find it, and afford it.
A confluence of factors, from an unusual freeze earlier this year in Texas to surging demand to ongoing supply chain issues, has created a paint shortage and a price surge.
Customers around the country are finding it tougher to get the paint they want as store owners struggle to keep product on the shelves and meet rising costs from their suppliers.
"We've had multiple price increases across the board from every manufacturer we deal with," said Randy Moser, owner of Buss Paints, a specialty store in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, about 53 miles north of Philadelphia in the Lehigh Valley. "It's been this way for a while now, and it seems like it's not going to get any better over the next three to six months, either."
The Covid-19 pandemic spurred a wave of new interest in projects around the house. From sprucing up the garden to adding swimming pools to throwing on a fresh coat of paint, these projects have had retailers facing a torrent of demand for goods.
