Key Sentence:
- The head of an Icelandic supermarket said supply chain chaos worsened as retailers began planning for the all-important Christmas season.
Richard Walker told the he estimated the UK truck driver shortage was now at around 100,000 while the company itself was short at about 100. Christmas is nearing retailers as planning starts now, Walker said. “The reason we sound the alarm now is that we canceled Christmas at the last minute,” he said.
“Icelandic Supermarket don’t want this to be a problem either,” he added. “We will start building stock for the important season from September,” he said. “We have a lot of stuff to ship before Christmas, and a strong supply chain is essential for everyone.”
“The shortage of drivers affects the chain of stores every day, leading to a shortage of shelves,” Walker said. “We canceled deliveries for the first time since the pandemic started, about 30 to 40 deliveries a day.” “These men and women, these truck drivers, put on a show on the road for 18 months during the pandemic. And it is a crime that we don’t see them as skilled workers.
When asked if Brexit was responsible for supply chain problems, Walker said, “I think so. But it’s ‘self-defeating’ and not an inevitable consequence of Brexit caused by the government’s failure to understand the importance of truck drivers and truck drivers in the jobs they do. they do for us.”
Icelandic Supermarket Incentive system
Companies across several industries across the UK face a supply chain crisis due to a shortage of truck drivers. Logistics UK, freight forwarders, and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) wrote to the government, calling for new measures to tackle the problem.
Tesco is offering truck drivers a £1,000 connection bonus amid the industry’s chronic driver shortage. Other companies are believed to be offering similar incentives to truck drivers after supply chain disruptions led to product shortages. In addition, Morrison said he was working on a training program for employees to become truck drivers.
Last week, a government spokesman said it would roll out a package of actions to address the truck driver shortage, Including plans to streamline the process for new drivers to get their truck licenses and increase the number of tests being carried out.
Problems with toys
According to toy retailer boss Gary Grant, the problem of shipping goods from overseas could also impact Christmas. The Entertainer chairman told Mail Online he is grappling with a shortage of containers to transport goods from Asia and rising shipping costs.
“What’s unique for us is that Christmas is a set date, so we’re currently under a lot of pressure to move. As much inventory as possible, but we’re way behind on product deliveries,” he said. “There is no shortage of toys, but as Christmas approaches, suppliers will run out of the stock we rely on. As a result, our inventory may be tighter.” He warned that popular toys like Paw Patrol, Barbie, and Rainbocorn could become scarce.