Will the UK Experience Wood Fuel Stock Shortages This Year?
As most of you know, the UK is currently facing an unprecedented supply chain crisis.
Staff shortages and transportation disruptions are negatively affecting virtually all UK industries. There are reports of retailers, large and small, bracing for widespread stock shortages. Large supermarket chains warn of possible food shortages in the run-up to Christmas. And even international fast food juggernauts like McDonald’s and KFC cannot maintain adequate stock of their core products.
Our customer support specialists receive dozens of messages from buyers about possible wood fuel shortages every day.
So, will there be stock shortages during this heating season? Will there be any delivery disruptions? And will you be able to buy any wood fuel whatsoever during the winter?
Read this article to find answers to all these questions. We will also share a tip from our experts on how to avoid being affected by any possible stock shortages.
Why Are There Supply Chain Shortages in the UK?
It is widely believed that the UK’s current stock shortage is caused by a perfect storm of COVID-19 restrictions and Brexit-related labour shortages.
NHS Test and Trace App
During the winter, the stock shortages were largely attributed to the overzealous nature of the NHS’s Test and Trace mobile app.
Anyone who came into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 was ordered to stay at home. This wreaked havoc on the production and delivery schedules of many companies.
The app was tweaked since then. Today, the app plays a far more modest role in the supply chain crisis than it did during the heatwave. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is still far from over and returning to pre-COVID output levels remains an impossibility for most companies.
Brexit-Related Labour Shortages
Many businesses have been experiencing a shortage of HGV drivers and warehouse workers ever since the UK left the EU. This shortage of warehouse workers and lorry drivers does not allow delivery companies to operate at full capacity. Which inevitably causes stock shortages.
Many UK companies are experiencing stock shortages because of delivery delays and things are likely to only get worse as demand for virtually all goods increases in the run-up to Christmas.
Will the Wood Fuel Industry Experience Supply Chain Shortages?
We remain in close communication with our various delivery partners. According to them and our own order and delivery data from previous years, it appears that the UK market will indeed be experiencing a wood fuel shortage as demand peaks during the winter months.
The industry already experienced widespread stock shortages last year.
Being the UK’s leading producer of wood fuel, Lekto was able to manage its stock in a way that helped us avoid any major supply shortages. However, as our competitors ran out of products and their customers turned to us, even we ran out of our more popular wood fuel.
This year, we expect a similar peak in demand. Coupled with the recent supply chain crisis, it could mean that some customers will not be able to purchase their favourite wood fuels in December and January of next year.
How to Avoid Wood Fuel Stock Shortages This Winter?
Our delivery partners and in-house logistics experts are in unanimous agreement that the best way to sidestep the upcoming shortage is to stock up on firewood and wood briquettes before peak heating season.
We cannot speak for the entire industry, but we at Lekto currently have more than enough stock and delivery capacity to process all of our wood fuel orders. And then some.
If you order today, you will be able to buy all the wood fuel you need and get quick delivery.
As the temperature lowers and more and more people start making purchases, it is likely that deliveries will start taking longer and, eventually, we will run out of capacity and stock.
We have taken all possible measures to make sure that our clients do avoid delivery disruptions, but it appears that they will be inevitable this year.
