Concerns about coronavirus and isolation in the UK has led to the public panic buying food and beverages. This sharp increase in demand has meant that manufacturers, distributors and retailers are having to take special measures to ensure the supply chain doesn’t collapse.
Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation said, “there is increased demand driven by increased consumer buying. There is no evidence of stock shortages at this stage within the supply chain as a whole.”
“Our members are working at pace and preparing for a number of scenarios in a changing situation. The key thing to remember is that we have a world class supply chain in the UK, and we will be doing all we can to maintain availability in coming weeks.”
According to HIM & MCA Insight, 34% of shoppers are already stockpiling food in preparation as COVID-19 spreads across the UK.
Tinned foods (17%), frozen foods (14%) and dried goods (14%) were the most popular products that shoppers have already stocked up on according to the online survey conducted on 1,000 consumers.
In addition to this, 88% of consumers have said that they will stockpile food if the outbreak worsens.
However, in light of the food industry seeing a peak in demand for goods, as the UK government calls for the public to avoid hospitality venues, there are raising concerns that this will have a knock-on effect on drinks suppliers.
Lorna Davidson, Founder and CEO of Liverpool-based Redwigwam, explained that flexible workers can help the industry through this pandemic and the aftermath of the crisis when businesses will have had to reduce their headcount.
If you’re in need of support and guidance regarding staffing during this world-wide pandemic, get in touch with a member of our team for an informative update on current recruitment in the food manufacturing industry.
