As technology has advanced, semiconductor chips have spread from computers and cars to toothbrushes and tumble dryers — they now lurk beneath the hood of a surprising number of products. But demand for chips is continuing to outstrip supply, and car makers are no longer the only companies feeling the pinch. Alan Priestley, an analyst at Gartner, told CNBC that the average person on the street is bound to be impacted by the chip shortage in one form or another. "What it will mean is they can't get something, or prices are slightly higher," Priestley said during an interview on Thursday.