Out-of-stock supermarkets are once again a thing in the UK, and images of them are being shared on social media. According to some, there is a simple reason why stock-outs happen more than they used to Brexit. Leaving the EU has seriously stymied the UK’s food importation and distribution sector.
The Cold Chain Federation is an industry body that transports and stores perishable foods across the country. Cold Chain Federation head Shane Brennan: “One of the reasons why you see stock-outs on supermarket shelves is that supermarkets have tended to operate on a ‘day one for day two’ system. So, the store manager will make an order for their goods the night before for the next day.”
But that has been changed by Brexit, so now supermarket managers have to make predictions about what they are going to need not for tomorrow but for two or three days ahead. “You’re going to make more predictions around what you’re going to sell or you’re not going to sell. And actually, you end up having to be more risk-averse in what you order to avoid wasting stuff,” says Brennan. “So, you end up tolerating more stock-outs. That’s essentially what happens.”
Since Brexit, however, foreign suppliers have decided that they don’t need the red tape and added expense associated with supplying the UK. There are easier and closer markets without any hard borders to navigate. As a result, the added delays, bother, and cost of Brexit just make ordering what supermarkets need for tomorrow more difficult. They have to plan further ahead, and that means they are far more likely to get things wrong. The result? Stock-outs and empty shelves.
Source: theneweuropean.co.uk