Besides boxes under the tree, another thing that could be affected by supply chain woes is the availability of alcohol in Illinois during the holiday season this year. | Adobe Stock
Besides boxes under the tree, another thing that could be affected by supply chain woes is the availability of alcohol in Illinois during the holiday season this year. | Adobe Stock
Illinois state Rep. Marty McLaughlin encourages supporting Illinois small businesses amid ongoing supply chain disruptions.
“Hopefully ‘The Elf on a Shelf’ won’t be the only thing sitting on retailer’s shelves this holiday season," McLaughlin said in a Facebook post. "We need supply chains operating by putting people back to work and then upholding theft laws. Please shop local, keep our small businesses afloat!”
Earlier this week President Biden met with the CEOs of some of the biggest retailers in the country to discuss supply chain disruptions, NPR Illinois reported. Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz was present to discuss his concerns about port congestion with the president. Illinois is home to more than 1.2 million small businesses, which employ almost half of the state’s workforce.
Illinois state Rep. Chris Bos
| Provided
Besides boxes under the tree, another thing that could be affected is the availability of alcohol in the state during the holiday season this year, Center Square reported, so that rum, brandy or bourbon may be missing from your eggnog this year.
Other concerns in Illinois are the state's declining credit rating an $3 billion deficit, according to a report from Business News Daily. Conversely, the state also has ample access to skilled labor thanks to its large metro areas. Small businesses are especially important in Illinois, employing 45% of the state's workforce and 20% of its overall total population. Small business also represents 99.6% of the state's total private enterprise.
Crime is also a concern for businesses, according to Criminal Lawyer Illinois. Since 2016, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has changed the thresholds for retail theft crimes several times, making the punishment less severe. And during protests over George Floyd's murder in the summer of 2020, looters stole or damaged $66 million worth of goods in Chicago businesses.
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