B&M has issued an update to Christmas shoppers amid stock level concerns and supply chain issues.
The bargain retailer has assured customers that it is “fully stocked” heading into the festive period.
In recent weeks, the retail sector has been hit by a shortage of HGV drivers and the lingering effects of the pandemic, leading to fears of shortages around Christmas time.
Shoppers had been urged to buy a raft of items, such as presents and frozen turkeys, early in a bid to make sure their festive celebrations could go ahead as planned.
But B&M has said it has taken action to avoid such issues by deliberately taking delivery of imported general merchandise items earlier than normal.
Simon Arora, chief executive of B&M European Value, said: “We have responded decisively to supply chain challenges by leveraging our strong supplier relationships and we have improved in-store execution.
“As a consequence, we are fully stocked heading into the golden quarter, with stores already showcasing our excellent Christmas ranges.”
The retail group said like-for-like sales for the past six weeks have been 14.7 per cent higher than the same period in 2019 as it reported a strong continued recovery across its B&M UK stores.
It added that the group also “faces a number of potential cost headwinds and inflationary pressures heading into 2022” but believes it is well placed to navigate these challenges.
Numerous retailers have issued warnings around potential stock shortages and delivery delays in the run-up to Christmas this year.
Last week, Superdry said it had suffered delays of up to six weeks in dispatching its wholesale stock.
The fashion retailer said that September stock was impacted by supply chain issues affecting its autumn ranges, but said it would be in a good position by Christmas.
Meanwhile, toy retailer The Entertainer previously warned that it had run into problems with the number of shipping containers needed to import stock.
Founder Gary Grant said: “If you know what you want to buy your child, don’t be chasing round the country in December.
“I would genuinely recommend putting things away early.”
There are signs the global supply chain issues have taken a toll on the UK economy in recent weeks.
Official figures show that UK economic growth slowed sharply between July and September as supply chain problems hampered Britain’s recovery from the pandemic.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy expanded by 1.3% between July and September, down from growth of 5.5% in the previous three months.
The ONS said growth picked up in September to a better-than-expected 0.6% but revisions showed the performance was worse than first thought in July and August.
