London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Ikea struggles with supply problems due to driver shortage

Ikea struggles with supply problems due to driver shortage

Furniture giant Ikea is struggling to supply about 1,000 product lines as a shortage of HGV drivers continues to hit businesses.

The company said the shortage of products, including mattresses at some stores, was down to Covid and Brexit.

Businesses ranging from flu vaccine suppliers to food and drink firms have also been suffering from supply issues.

The government has previously said it is "working closely with industry to address sector challenges".

Ikea said that all 22 of its UK and Ireland stores were having supply problems with 10% of its stock, or around 1,000 product lines.

"Like many retailers, we are experiencing ongoing challenges with our supply chains due to Covid-19 and labour shortages, with transport, raw materials and sourcing all impacted. In addition, we are seeing higher customer demand as more people are spending more time at home. 

 "As a result, we are experiencing low availability in some of our ranges, including mattresses."

The retailer apologised and said it hoped the situation would improve "in the coming weeks and 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 said.

There has been disruption in the global container shipping industry due to the pandemic, while Brexit labour shortages span from lorry drivers to meat production workers.

Pig issues


Labour problems linked to Brexit are also hitting meat production.

The National Pig Association warned on Sunday that there was a backlog of 85,000 pigs on farms dues to a significant shortage of abattoir workers, and that this figure was growing at 15,000 per week.

"If processors continue not to take the pigs they will have to go somewhere," said National Pig Association chief executive Zoe Davies.

"If the government doesn't act soon to alleviate labour shortage in plants, farmers will be forced to make difficult choices.

"The last thing we want to see is pigs being destroyed on farms and the meat wasted, so we are talking to processors about options."

She added that the government does not appear to have "the slightest interest in helping us here which I find both incredibly disappointing and galling in equal measure considering this situation is entirely within their gift to resolve".


Businesses across the board have been hit by supply chain problems which hauliers have blamed on Covid and Brexit.

Flu jabs in England and Wales have been delayed due to the HGV driver shortage, and food firms including Tesco and Iceland have said there could be shortages of some products in the run-up to Christmas.

Wetherspoons ran short of some beer brands, but downplayed the link to Brexit, instead saying the shortages were down to industrial action. Unions, however, say this industrial action never took place.

Brewers Heineken and Molson Coors, and fast food chains McDonald's, KFC and Nando's were also hit by supply issues.

There is a shortage of more than 100,000 drivers in the UK, according to the Road Haulage Association.

During the pandemic as travel restrictions came in, many European lorry drivers went home to their own countries, and then decided to work elsewhere.

There have also been tax changes which mean it's now more expensive for foreign drivers to work in the UK.

Logistics firms have been calling for the government to allow temporary work visas for lorries in the short term to try to alleviate the problem.

But the government has consistently said that firms have to do more to find UK drivers.

It has previously said: "We're working closely with industry to address sector challenges, which are similarly being faced by other countries around the world.

"This includes plans to streamline the process for new drivers to gain their HGV licence and to increase the number of driving tests able to be conducted.

"We want to see employers make long-term investments in the UK domestic workforce and make employment more attractive through offering training, careers options and wage increases."

Comments

Princess Bubblegum 237 days ago
This article is uncannily similar to a September 2021 article on the same subject, by the Independent. Have you got anything new to add?

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×