New figures have revealed that more than a quarter of food and hospitality firms have been hit by low stock levels in recent weeks across Britain.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its recent business survey found that 27% of food and accommodation firms have reported lower than normal stock levels.
There have been widespread reports of supply chain disruptions causing food and drink shortages due to a lack of HGV lorry drivers hitting England, Scotland, and Wales.
The food sector seems to have been the worst hit but low stock levels were also reported by 23% of manufacturers and 25% of firms in the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles industry.
The crisis is increasingly leaving supermarket shelves bare and leading to a shortage of materials and higher prices across a raft of sectors, from housebuilding to car production.
READ MORE: Greggs, KFC, Costa, Tesco: All the businesses facing food shortage issues
Brexit and Covid have been largely blamed for the situation.
McDonald's confirmed it has run out of milkshakes and some bottled drinks at restaurants in Scotland on Tuesday, and many other chain restaurants are facing similar issues.
The latest ONS fortnightly business poll revealed that firms across the UK have been struggling to get hold of materials, goods and services.
More than one in seven construction firms – 15.4% – said they have not been able to get the materials they need in recent weeks, while 9% of hospitality firms also reported the same issue.
Nearly one in five manufacturing firms – 18.4% – have had to change suppliers or find alternative ways to get materials, goods or services, with 16.5% of construction firms and 11.4% of food and hospitality companies reporting the same, according to the ONS.
It found less than half of builders and hospitality firms said they had been able to source all the materials, goods and services they needed without issues – at 42.1% and 46.2% respectively.
Just over half of manufacturers – 51.4% – said they were able to get hold of the materials and goods they needed in the survey between July 26 and August 8.
The UK’s largest housebuilders have been reporting increased prices of vital materials such as cement and steel in recent weeks.
A lorry driver shortage in the UK is adding to post-Brexit disruption and worldwide material supply problems caused by the pandemic.
READ MORE: McDonald’s runs out of milkshakes in all Scots restaurants
The ONS’s survey also showed the rising impact of the lorry driver shortage on the haulage sector, with the transportation and storage industry seeing nearly a fifth of firms – 18% – having paused or stopped trading in mid-August.
This was largely driven by the freight transport by road industry and the unlicensed carriers industry, the ONS said.
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