Ikea at Greenwich Peninsular, south London
(Picture: PA)Ikea is struggling to supply some 1,000 product lines due to a lack of HGV drivers linked to Covid and Brexit.
The furniture giant said that all 22 of its UK and Ireland stores were facing supply issues with 10 per cent of its stock affected.
“Like many retailers, we are experiencing ongoing challenges with our supply chains due to Covid-19 and labour shortages, with transport, raw materials andâ¯sourcing all impacted,” Ikea said.
“In addition, we are seeing higher customer demand as more people are spending more time at home.”
It is a perfect storm, with low availability in some Ikea ranges including mattresses.
Many businesses have been suffering from the supply chain crunch, including flu vaccine suppliers and the hospitality sector.
Last month, McDonald’s ran out of milkshake due to ongoing supply issues and the Co-op was forced to significantly reduce some of its product range.
Nando’s ran out of chicken and Whetherspoons issued an apology after Carling and Coors Light beer ran out on tap.
The global container shipping industry has faced disruption worldwide while Brexit labour shortages span from meat production workers to lorry drivers.
Ministers are “working closely with industry to address sector challenges”, the government has said.
In the meantime, Ikea has apologised and said it hoped that the situation would improve in the coming months.
“What we are seeing is a perfect storm of issues, including the disruption of global trade flows and a shortage of drivers, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic and Brexit,” Ikea added.
