Warehouse space in the UK is reportedly nearly full because of Brexit and the Christmas season.
Many warehouses are filled to capacity because of companies stockpiling goods in the event there are hold-ups at UK ports if a no deal Brexit happens. All sorts of goods are being stockpiled, from food to clothing in anticipation of the slowing of goods coming into the UK from Europe. Goods are also stockpiled in case tariffs are charged on imported goods after Britain leaves the EU.
The Brexit October deadline is also a time of peak Christmas season business for many retailers when warehouses normally carry extra stock.
CEO at the UK Warehousing Association, Peter Ward, said:
“The 31 Oct deadline couldn’t have come at a worse time, clashing with peak season in logistics in the run up to Christmas, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”
He also explained that Britain leaving the EU could also result in many warehouse workers from EU countries leaving the UK.
To cope with extra storage demand businesses have adopted various strategies. Tesco has rented containers that they have located outside their large stores to hold extra stock. Some small to medium businesses have looked to self-storage facilities to store some of their stock.
Warehouse owners can enlist the help of a warehouse equipment supplier to re-organise their warehouses with new higher warehouse shelving and more efficient picking and packing operations that speed up the process of moving goods from the storage areas ready for a speedy delivery.
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