Distribution and Supply Update Sept21

Date: 24th September 2021

September 2021 Distribution and Supply Update

As we are all aware, the catering and hospitality industry has arguably suffered the hardest impact from the pandemic. 

With unpredictable and pro-longed closures, coupled with immense demand when businesses have been allowed to reopen, the packaging industry has struggled with demand often outweighing supply, and still does so to this day. 

If you've ordered from us recently you may have experienced issues with products being out of stock, and we may have been unable to provide you with an estimated in-stock date. We are very sorry for this however, it is an issue that stretches beyond Select Catering Solutions and has been impacting suppliers, manufacturers, and customers across the board. 

Reasons For Supply Issues

The world is facing huge challenges and is still trying to understand and recover from the pandemic, Brexit, staffing crisis' and environmental problems. These have negatively affected the packaging and disposables industry because of:

• Self-isolation requirements slowing production often to a halt
• Export issues from foreign countries that are still in lockdowns
• Huge shortage of HGV Drivers following Brexit
• Reduced containers and cargo ships prompting a cost increase in transportation
• Larger focus on paper and pulp products for environmental reasons, impacting paper mills considerably

Price Fluctuation

As we face shortages in transportation and supply the cost of products is set to increase. At Select Catering Solutions, we do try to help our customers achieve realistic prices by offering trade discounts, but it must be mentioned that there is a very real prospect that the cost of items will inflate. 

We will continue to try our hardest to help your business obtain products that help you to flourish, at reasonable prices. If you would like to enquire about applying for a trade discount, in turn opening an account with us, please complete the Trade Account application form and we will be in touch.

Our Work to Minimise Impact

Although the current situation is not ideal, and we see brands like KFC having to source alternative packaging to normal, we are taking steps to try and avoid as much disruption as we can. Our purchasing manager is in constant communication with manufacturers to obtain stock and we are working together to achieve better stock levels. Furthermore, as HGV drivers are in short supply, we are going out to manufacturers and collecting the stock ourselves. 

As a first-tier distributor of products, we purchase directly from manufacturers, reducing the number of people involved in the supply chain, allowing us to stock products faster and be more reactive to situations. Finally, we are encouraging all our customers to if not already, begin ordering online. This will allow you to access a live feed of our stock that will show as either in or out of stock, as well as being able to identify alternatives that could benefit you in the meantime. This will help to avoid the disappointment of back-orders and save plenty of time.

If you would like to discuss any of the points made above or need any assistance, our sales team is here to help Monday - Friday 8:30am - 17:00pm. Please visit our contact page to get in touch today.