A supply crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could impact holiday sales, leaving shelves empty in some cases, according to a statement from White House officials. The White House appointed a bottleneck “czar” who is supposed to push companies to ease supply concerns as much as possible. Even so, retail and transportation firms have not been able to recover from spiraling shipping issues. Making matters more complicated, the Federal Reserve predicted a 2021 inflation rate of 4.2%, more than double its original target.