Consumer Demand Snaps Back. Factories Can’t Keep Up.

U.S. manufacturers aced the shutdown of their factories and warehouses last spring in response to Covid-19. They’re botching the recovery.

After carrying out an orderly retreat from assembly lines as the pandemic arrived in the U.S., many manufacturers pulled out the playbook they followed in past recessions, cutting costs and preserving cash. That left them unprepared for the sharp rebound in consumer demand that began just weeks later and never let up.

Without restaurants to visit and trips to take, Americans bought out stocks of cars, appliances, furniture and power...