As coronavirus spreads, even furniture sellers in the U.S. are starting to feel the fallout – By Lucinda Shen (Fortune) / Feb 14 2020
China’s significance in the global economy is front and center with the spread of coronavirus.
Companies around the world turned to China for cheaper labor and materials costs over the past several decades. Now, as factories delay operations in the country due to the rapid spread of the disease, industries from the automotive sector to apparel are warning that coronavirus will lower production or deliveries.
Now the virus is spreading to an unexpected spot: furniture sellers in the United States.
“We have received notice from various manufacturers and suppliers that they are extending the ‘Chinese New Year’ [holiday] for at least one extra week to accommodate the quarantines.” said Jesús Capó, Chief Information Officer at Florida-based El Dorado Furniture. “We will run a little short on some products—but if it continues, after a while you are going to have to find products somewhere else.”
While some plants have begun reopening across the middle kingdom this week after lunar year closures were extended over fears of coronavirus, it’s still unclear how long it will take for workshops to become fully-functional as cases continue to mount.
Continue to article: https://fortune.com/2020/02/14/coronavirus-impact-on-business-costs-furniture-sellers/
