Mail Online

‘Less choice’ for festive shoppers

By Rachel Watson Deputy Scottish Political Editor

CONSUMERS will have to ‘take what they can get’, with a smaller range of goods on the shelves in the run-up to Christmas, retailers have warned.

Business chiefs yesterday said that while families should expect to have everything they need for their Christmas dinners, supply chain issues will mean far fewer options.

The pandemic has led to global shortages, with growing concerns over the number of HGV drivers available to deliver goods.

MSPs on the economy and fair work committee heard that as well as fewer options on the shelves customers are likely to see prices continue to soar as retailers find new ways to stock their shops, such as using local providers.

Dr Ewan MacDonald-Russell, head of policy and external affairs at the Scottish Retail Consortium, predicted the range of products in shops may be limited.

He said: ‘There might be three pickle varieties rather than five or six pickles. There might not be as many types of mince pies.

‘So you’ll still get mince pies and pickles, just not the range we would like to offer that you’re used to. That’s the way we can manage matching supply chain disruption with getting things right in store for consumers.’ Colin Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Wholesale Association, said that issues such as Brexit, the pandemic and a shortage of HGV drivers were disrupting the supply of goods.

He warned that the ‘cacophony of problems’ could continue for the next 18 months.

‘A lot of food comes in from the EU, up through England and into Scotland, so we are at the furthest end of the supply chain,’ he explained. ‘Any problems further down south means stuff doesn’t get into Scotland.’

Firms were looking to create more ‘sustainable supply chains and routes to market’ but it would have an impact on consumers.

‘Consumers expect everything to be on demand and on the shelves when we want it, but looking back 30, 40 years, we were buying locally and buying seasonally.’ he said.

‘I think when you look at that local supply chain, we have to educate people that they are going to have to take what they can get, when they can get it.’

MSPs heard there has already been a 40 per cent price rise in dairy products and 25 per cent for pasta.

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