A pandemic-driven boom in home appliance sales will last longer than previously anticipated and extend into the second half of the year, according to Samsung Electronics.

Lee Jae-seung, president of the South Korean company’s digital appliances business, told Reuters he had originally expected the boom to subside after Q1 2021.

But extended travel restrictions, despite vaccine rollouts and consumers being flush with cash due to economic stimulus measures of governments plus limited spending avenues, had stretched the boom, Lee said.

A buoyant demand outlook has exacerbated the shortage of semiconductors.

Lee said Samsung is working around this by swapping chips to 12-inch wafers from eight-inch ones, reconfiguring software and diversifying chip sourcing.