Could Christmas really be cancelled? Or do we all just need to stop panicking?
Consumers have been warned that everything from Christmas trees and toys to the traditional turkey feast could be at risk of short supply this year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is making preparations to deal with potential supply problems until “Christmas and beyond” as some suggest supermarket shoppers should quietly start to stock up on cranberry sauce in case the worst comes to the worst.
– What is causing all these problems?
The UK economy has been disrupted by several factors that have been bubbling away for months, including labour shortages, new immigration rules affecting HGV drivers and the lingering effects of the pandemic.
There is estimated to be a shortfall of around 100,000 lorry drivers, and soaring energy costs have also added to the cost of food production and logistics.
Globally, the pandemic is having an ongoing effect on international supply chain logistics, affecting grocery and toy imports.
It’s all getting a little close for comfort. Staff shortages are causing major problems in sectors ranging from turkey factories to hotels, pubs and restaurants, with hospitality bosses saying they fear they will be unable to cope over the festive period.
Meanwhile, retailers have warned that global supply chain disruption due to the pandemic and the shortage of lorry drivers is likely to affect Christmas supermarket shelves and toy deliveries.
Even Christmas tree supplies could be affected as problems importing from the EU places a squeeze on those grown locally.
– Isn’t panic-buying making the problem worse?
UK consumers have been told time and time again that panic-buying – whether that be toilet rolls, fuel or cranberry sauce – is not the answer, and there is enough to go around if everyone shops normally.
However, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S, Co-op, Aldi and Asda have all begun selling Christmas puddings, chocolate treats and more, with some stores even imploring customers to buy now to avoid possible shortages closer to the big day.
A Tesco branch in Edinburgh has even been pictured with signs reading “stock up early” along an aisle crammed with festive products.
Toy retailer The Entertainer has also urged shoppers to get organised now, warning that it has been unable to use the full quantity of shipping containers to import stock.
The Entertainer founder Gary Grant said: “If you know what you want to buy your child, don’t be chasing round the country in December.
“I would genuinely recommend putting things away early.”
Speaking about the fuel crisis for the first time on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said: “What we want to do is to make sure we have the preparations necessary to get through to Christmas and beyond, not just in the supply of our petrol stations but all parts of our supply chain.”
The Government has announced it will issue 5,000 temporary visas to foreign lorry drivers to alleviate shortages and 5,500 EU visas for poultry workers, which should help to get turkeys on shelves if people take the jobs in time.
UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has suggested that similar “Covid recovery visas” should also be introduced to help revitalise the service industry.
Retailers are taking matters into their own hands, with the likes of John Lewis chartering a fleet of extra ships, alongside a number of other businesses, as part of plans to tackle supply chain woes in time for Christmas.
John Lewis chairwoman Sharon White has said the department store is “going very hard and really fast to make sure Christmas gets saved for our customers”, including bringing in Christmas tree and bauble orders earlier.
