For months now there have been big challenges for UK companies trying to ship to customers in Ireland and the EU, with increased congestion at ports in many countries, and retailers sounding the alarm bell that deliveries for the holiday season could be delayed. Businesses across the world have been grappling with a tsunami of supply chain issues as economies attempt to reboot and recover after the past eighteen months.
The global supply chain crisis has largely been driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the demand for goods surging as economies re-open. The well reported shortage of lorry drivers has meant that shipment containers are being offloaded but left stacked on the quayside waiting for collection. The lack of drivers also means that there is a delay in returning empty containers for re-use. Shipping costs have increased exponentially due to soaring demand and production capacity limited by Covid-19 mandates and raw material shortages. These problems come at the busiest time of the year for retailers who are experiencing significant delays and cancellations in the delivery of stock, with concerns that not all orders will arrive in time for the festive season.
Many consumers are buying early for Christmas with concerns over possible product shortages, so ensuring a timely supply of goods is something global businesses are trying to deal with as a top priority.
Despite these issues there are ways which UK consumer brands can overcome these bottlenecks when selling to Ireland and the EU. Consider shipping in bulk to an expert logistics company in Ireland who can ship directly to end users in Ireland or elsewhere in the EU. Significant B2C bulk orders shipped to customers in Ireland weekly, is simpler, cheaper and quicker. Irish consumers will have peace of mind if they can buy from a local hub rather than risk the delay and potential hassle of buying direct from UK, and a local hub makes customer returns easier, saving time and money and giving reassurance to customers that they won’t have to ship a faulty product back to the UK. There is less paperwork and potential delays from customs issues by bulk shipping and having stock held in a warehouse of a logistics company. Once in the Irish warehouse, a product can be delivered next day, so reducing customer waiting time down from 4-6 days that a shipment can take from the UK
British consumer brands are looking at smarter ways to solve fulfilment logistics to meet customer expectations. An Irish hub can be the perfect solution.
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