Supermarkets warn of 'beer shortages' due to Euro 2020 'surge in demand'
7 July 2021, 08:26
Retail Correspondent discusses Euro 2020 beer shortages
Ahead of England's crunch Euro 2020 match this evening Tom Swarbrick spoke to a retail correspondent after one supermarket chain warned of a 'beer shortage'.
"Sainsbury’s has warned of gaps on shelves as supplies of some products including salads, beers and soft drinks run low because of shortages of lorry drivers."
Retail Correspondent Sarah Butler explained there had been "widespread" problems due to shortages of HGV drivers.
She told Tom that "surges in demand" for certain products could cause supply chain issues.
Sarah explained ahead of England's match against Ukraine at the weekend the supermarket was selling around 17 packs of beer per second.
She told LBC this was a 60% rise compared to normal levels over the course of the tournament.
"This is a pretty big surge, I guess because people can't go to the pub quite as much as they normally would."
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts said the demand for beer, soft drinks and barbecue items was greater than anticipated: “As customers are spending more time together for the big events we have seen demand respond as a result.”
