The Earthquake's Ripple Effect in the Merch World
Japan is still trying to avoid more catastrophe and try to make sense of all the devastation they've faced as a result of their 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The earthquake has a major impact on a global scale with a heavy amount of the consumer electronics industry being seated on the tiny island.
So what effect will this have on CE awards? Right off the bat, not a whole lot.
According to several consumer electronic manufacturers in Japan, production of several components of large brands have been suspended for the time being. Reports of worker injuries have been fairly minimal inside the plants but enough damage has been sustained by some to put production temporarily to a halt. Though some factories are still functional, some ports are destroyed, making the shipping of products even more difficult. With the delay in shipments, the industry as a whole probably won't feel the effects of this until the summer, since much of the inventory for now is already here.
Even with this affect, our concerns should focus more so on the relief efforts and recovery of the people in Japan and not so much on the electronics. People always come first.
What other news do you all know regarding the quake's effect on merchandise and our industry as a whole?