Uncertain times – Shipping crisis – Bear with us!

Retailers are asking customers to be patient and bear with us!  as they experience delays and changes to promised delivery dates due to the pandemic.Totally out of their control retail is understandably frustrated as supply is being hit by everything from fluctuating factory capacities, shortages of raw materials and severe under capacity for shipping and freight.

This is a global shipping crisis – with many UK importers facing soaring freight costs. Importers are experiencing huge increases with some being quoted this month of £10,000 per container when 18 months ago the cost was £1,600!

As well as empty shipping containers in Asia, there is heavy congestion at UK ports. Even when stock arrives berthing slots are not available and the vessel is sent elsewhere. Frustrated retailers have daily dialogue with their suppliers and shipping lines and are sending regular updates as fast as they can to their customers.

Many retailers have also had to delay product launches while they find packaging as there is also a cardboard shortage  – can you believe it! due to the boom in online ordering during the pandemic .

This is such a testing time for retailers, and the foreseeable future for freight and shipping still looks very uncertain.

 

Update July 2021

The challenges continue…

Retail is now facing distribution and fulfilment challenges. Successive lockdowns have accelerated the retail shift too online which has sent demand for warehousing skyrocketing.

Chinas zero-covid policy shuts down a whole shipping terminal after just one case – and the terminal supplies Europe!

July 2021  Complex new EU VAT rules come into force for UK retailers and digital market places.