WESTLAND, Mich. (WXYZ) — We’ve been hearing how the coronavirus is affecting the economy. The outbreak in China has slowed down supplies of tech products. Now, a cell phone repair shop in Westland is starting to feel the effects.
“When it started, we didn’t think it was going to affect us,” said Ali Khan.
That’s what Khan thought when he saw coronavirus stories on the news. He owns the Cell Phone Repair shop in Westland, CPR for short.
Khan had an ample amount of supplies early in the year. Every January he stocks up knowing supplies slow down during the Chinese New Year.
“Phones, screens, batteries, charging ports, camera lenses, frames,” Khan named off.
But many distributors weren’t prepared for the supply chain to be affected when the coronavirus started slowing down production.
With supply going down and demand going up, Kahn is again trying to stock up, but that means his business is spending more money than they normally would.
“We’re ordering two to five times our normal inventory just because we are preparing,” he said.
Khan is holding his breath, hoping his distributors won’t raise prices too high or worse, run out of supplies. So what should you do to be better prepared?
Khan says to take care of your phone now and that means putting a case on it and tempered glass. If you have a cracked screen or are thinking about getting a new battery, get the repairs in while supplies last.
“Probably be better to get your phone fixed now, rather than later because you’d be saving time and money,” Khan said.