IKEA hit by supply chain issues caused by Brexit and lorry driver shortages

3 September 2021, 20:08

Retail giant Ikea is the latest brand to report supply chain issues following lorry driver shortages attributed to Brexit.

The furniture firm is seeing a "perfect storm of issues", including the disruption of global trade flows and a shortage of drivers, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and Brexit, according to reports.

Issues are said to be affecting around 10% of Ikea's product range.

A spokesperson for the company said that transport, raw materials and sourcing at all of its 22 stores around the UK and Ireland had been affected by labour shortages and Covid-19.

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They are also seeing higher customer demand as more people are spending more time at home.

The shortage is said to be affecting mattresses among a number of other items at the popular homeware store.

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The firm is the latest in a string of high street chains to be hit by supply chain issues, as retail continues to grapple with a shortage of around 90,000 to 100,000 HGV drivers.

Wetherspoons, whose owner Tim Martin has publicly backed Brexit, recently announced that the pub chain had been hit by a beer shortage due to lorry driver and factory staff shortages attributed to Brexit employment rules and the pandemic.

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Meanwhile, McDonalds has faced a shortage of milkshakes and bottled drinks, and Coca-Cola has reported problems with the supply of aluminium cans.

Nando's and KFC also reported chicken shortages, which caused Nando's to close some of its restaurants.

The boss of supermarket The Co-op has branded the supply issues as the worst he has ever seen.