Kickstart: People bought a lot of refrigerators in 2020

If you're one of the people who invested in a kitchen update during the past year, you may also be one of the people who found that appliances are in very limited supply.

Between a production shutdown during the spring of 2020, shortages in the supply chain and demand from people remodeling their homes as a pandemic project, it can take weeks to get your hands on new appliances, as Consumer Reports wrote in December.

New data from the U.S. International Trade Commission points out exactly how much demand there was for refrigerators in late 2020.

In November 2020, the U.S. imported 158 percent more refrigerators than in November 2019, USITC reported. About 1.4 million of those refrigerators came from China.

But that demand is helping to fuel production in the U.S. The GE appliance brand (owned by China's Haier) is in the midst of a $43 million investment at its Appliance Park manufacturing complex near Louisville, Ky.

Also on the topic of investing in manufacturing in the U.S., the Association For Manufacturing Technology and the Reshoring Initiative are asking companies to participate in a survey to help in "Rebuilding the Supply Chain."

The survey, open through Feb. 28, asks industry, job shops, technology suppliers and distributors to participate.

It is intended to help determine which "processes, products and components face the most pressure from imports and which offer the biggest opportunities to reshore," said Peter R. Eelman, vice president of AMT, which owns and produces the International Manufacturing Technology Show.

"About 20 percent of what is now imported could be produced here more profitably with currently in-use technology. By matching the best and newest technology solutions to each opportunity, we can accelerate the reshoring trend," added Harry Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative.

During the past few months, you've probably picked up a few new shopping habits. You may have also developed new habits for curbside pickups or even delivery services.

Retail giant Walmart is now one-uping the idea of grocery delivery, which includes a new appliance for your porch. (An appliance with lots of smart technology and insulation included, so likely some plastics companies are involved, too.)

A pilot program in Walmart's hometown of Bentonville, Ark., working with partner HomeValet, places a new smart box at participating homes. The box connects to your home power grid and is enabled with the Internet of Things. Order your groceries and the delivery person both collects the items and then brings them to your home. A code allows them to access the Smart Box.

The box includes a built-in freezer and refrigerator, so once the groceries are put into the proper spots, it's closed again to remain secure until you're home or finish up that work Zoom conference call.

"If there's one thing we know about our customers, it's that they're busier than ever," Tom Ward, a senior vice president with Walmart, said in a blog post. "Our pilot with HomeValet is one of many solutions we're testing that can make their days more manageable. After all, delivery should fit within their lifestyle, not the other way around."