The pandemic has disrupted supply chains and caused appliance shortages that are likely to persist for many more months. COVID-19 has disrupted supply chains around the world. As a small business, we have been able to adapt quickly to these major changes to help you find the appliances you need ASAP, but maybe you'd like to make researching a new appliance a little easier. In which case, we'll share some of our experiences with what types of appliances are most widely available from different brands.
We are part of a larger buying group with our own co-op warehouse, and we are striving to keep inventory on hand so you can get your appliance quickly. We have many products in stock - but there is definitely less variety. For example, when we usually might be able to offer you dozens of different models of electric ranges to choose from (and many more available by special order), today we may have 10 or fewer models that are actually in stock in your preferred color and available the same week for pick-up or delivery.
As more people are finding this post on Google, it seems important to add the following: If you are located in another part of the country, the general conditions of the brands are likely to be the same, but the specifics about which product types have scheduled deliveries likely will not apply.
Last Updated: 6/24/2021
Jump To:
- Broad Strokes - What You Need to Know
- MA/RI Residents: How to Shop for In Stock Items on Our Website
- Brand & Product Availability Chart
- Best Brand For ___ Product
- Why Are Things Out of Stock?
Broad Strokes - What You Need to Know
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Things are getting better overall. We're still having difficulties getting refrigerators and other products, and backorders are still an issue. However, if you're shopping for a new appliance today you'll have more options than you did a few months ago.
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One new issue we've noticed over the past few months is with regards to our service department - when appliances need parts replaced, some of those parts are now on backorder and can take weeks to come in rather than days.
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If you're shopping for a full size refrigerator or need a niche product - GET IN TOUCH WITH US (or your preferred local dealer if you do not live in MA or RI). It will be very difficult to shop for these on your own because these items are in extremely short supply and availability is changing constantly.
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We strive to get you items that are IN STOCK or have a CONFIRMED DELIVERY to our warehouse. Our buying group is working very hard behind the scenes to confirm orders, because there is no guarantee that orders we placed months ago are going to come in on time.
- Unfortunately, big box store websites do not always do a good job of indicating whether an item is in stock before you order it.
MA/RI Residents: How to Shop for In Stock Items on Our Website
Although your options are still limited as to which models you can choose from, this can help you narrow down your search to items that are the most likely to be available. If you are browsing our inventory online, you'll notice some information over each product photo:
The meaning of "In stock at our off site warehouse" is pretty obvious - great news! We have this product!
"Low stock - Call now!" means there are only a few (less than 10) of that item left, and since our warehouse is shared by the rest of our buying group in the New England area, you'll want to snatch this appliance up fast.
"Call for stock info" means that this item isn't currently in stock. However, we encourage you to call us because we have live updates of deliveries coming up for this week and next week. Even if something isn't in stock right at this moment, it may be coming in on a truck in a few days - in which case it's a great idea to buy this appliance now and secure your place in line!
Which Brands Have What
Overall, GE Appliances has had the most options available when it comes to both kitchen and laundry appliances. LG tends to have great options for laundry. LG was keeping up well in summer 2020 but has had to slow down somewhat after dealing with huge increases in demand for their products, and kitchen appliances remain sparse outside of refrigerators. Frigidaire/Electrolux and Whirlpool/KitchenAid/Maytag have faced challenges as popular brands and have been slowed down a lot.
Please note that all brands are facing some degree of shortages. You will probably not see the full variety of products you are used to. We are focusing on what's in stock at a basic level.
- Budget brands like Amana and Hotpoint are not always the best option right now. Some models have had production "paused" in order to shift resources to other products.
Additionally, this information is based on what we see in our warehouse. You can infer some national trends from it, or trends in the northeastern US, but not much more than that. We are located in Massachusetts. Your best bet is to find your local appliance store and talk to the people there.
| Overall Availability | Notable Shortages | |
| GE Appliances |
Some good variety in refrigerators and dishwashers (including portables) Refrigerators are limited as with most brands. Mostly French doors and some top freezers. More gas ranges than electric. Washer supply is a mix. Cheaper models and some front loaders are on backorder. More top load style dryers than front load style. |
Limited options for budget appliances. |
| LG |
LG has some good options for French door refrigerators, including some niche narrow models. Most dishwashers are in stock. Laundry is looking pretty good, with a variety of models in front and top load. |
Ranges are looking a bit slim, although orders are coming in. |
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Whirlpool (Amana) |
Whirlpool shipments have been improving, but demand is still very high which is preventing stock from sticking around, especially when it comes to refrigerators. Some major dishwasher deliveries are coming up, though. For laundry there are a few top load options. More dryers than washers. |
Ranges and laundry are limited. Amana has paused production on many refrigerators. Amana's budget top load washer is on backorder. |
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Maytag (Owned by Whirlpool) |
The focus has been on laundry. Top load washers come in and are gone quickly. They have paused production on most of their dishwashers except two stainless steel models. Orders are coming in for dishwashers. |
Kitchen products are cleared out, as well as their cheaper top load washers. |
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KitchenAid (Owned by Whirlpool) |
A few dishwashers are in good supply, plus a refrigerator. Many dishwasher models have paused production. |
Kitchen products are scarce outside of some dishwashers. |
| Electrolux |
Only compact laundry available. Deliveries are coming in for backorders. |
Front load washers and dryers will continue to be in limited supply. I wouldn't recommend Electrolux for now if you need a new washer/dryer ASAP - unless you're looking for a compact model. |
| Frigidaire |
Not much for refrigerators right now, BUT there are some large orders coming in for side by sides and French doors! Okay variety in gas ranges and dishwashers. |
Fewer choices in electric ranges. |
| Samsung | Some front load and top load washers. Different refrigerator options come and go. We don't sell as much Samsung but overall their backorders aren't too high right now, which is reassuring. | Kitchen appliances very limited. Scatterings of different products, often in Tuscan stainless or black stainless steel. |
| Bosch |
Bosch hit some bumps in the road at the end of 2020 but now we're starting to keep them in stock. There aren't a ton of options but your choices include some budget models which is good news. Some major dishwasher orders are coming in that are worth getting in line for. |
They have ceased production on some dishwasher models in order to increase production on others. Ranges are hard to find. |
Best Brand For...
Need an appliance ASAP? Here are some of the best brands when it comes to having products available:
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Kitchen Packages: A matching kitchen suite of appliances is particularly hard to put together right now as different brands have different shortages. Right now you may have better luck with going for specialty colors like black stainless steel or GE slate, as these non-traditional colors are more likely to be in stock. Please contact us or stop in and talk to our sales team, and we can help you work something out.
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Refrigerators: Somewhat limited, especially if you need a narrow refrigerator or have other constraints. GE and Whirlpool are your best bet.
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Top Freezers: Cleared out for now, but orders are coming in. Talk to a salesperson about the options!
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French Doors: This is where you'll find the most options. The models in best supply are mostly premium $3,000+ options from Bosch, with scattered options from other brands like GE and LG that change all the time. Right now there are some cheaper options under $2,500 which is great!
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Bottom Freezer:Options are very limited right now. Talk to a salesperson!
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Side by Side: Models come in and out of stock somewhat quickly. I'd work with a salesperson on this one since some models have deliveries coming up soon - Frigidaire in particular for now - and many others don't.
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Gas & Electric Ranges:
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There are some good options in electric ranges from Frigidaire, GE, and misc others, especially if you want stainless steel.
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For gas, your main choices are from Frigidaire and GE.
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Dishwashers: Different options available from KitchenAid, Bosch, GE, Whirlpool, and others. If you're on a tight budget, start with Bosch and then check out GE, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, and Samsung.
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Laundry:
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Agitator Top Load Washers: Some Maytag, Whirlpool, Speed Queen, and LG models are in good stock for now.
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HE Impeller Top Load Washers: GE and LG have the most stock right now. LG has the most variety.
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Front Load Washers: GE and LG are the strongest options right now, followed by Samsung.
- Dryers: Various options from LG, Maytag, GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire.
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For items in low stock across the board, like refrigerators, for MA and RI residents we encourage you to give us a call, email us, or stop by to talk about your options.
Why Are Appliances on Backorder or Out of Stock?
There are a ton of different reasons for why it's been difficult to get appliances into your home, including:
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Factories around the world are closed down or running at reduced capacity. This includes factories that are assembling the appliances as well as factories that make individual parts like CPU boards. This can result in specific models not being produced at normal levels, or entire categories of products for a brand, depending on a lot of factors.
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Factories may be producing 40-70% of their normal output, so it's hard to say when we'll be getting a backordered product back in stock unless we have specifically confirmed a delivery date with the manufacturer.
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Delays can also happen further up the supply chain. Getting product on a boat or truck can be difficult if there are fewer transport options available or if transport is delayed. And "surprises" have stronger ripple effects now due to these issues in the supply chain - see the Suez Canal obstruction on March 24th, for example!
- Believe it or not, demand for appliances has increased overall since the pandemic began, which compounds these issues.
The larger buying group we are part of is making every effort to confirm whether the orders we've placed for appliances will actually come in as planned. If you live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island, our sales team knows about these stocking issues and will be happy to help you find options that are in stock or on a confirmed order to our warehouse. Click here to learn more.
