“businesses are struggling to hire and retain staff when current labour shortages mean the competition for them is so high”— Nelson Recruitment Services

BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM, December 23, 2022/ EINPresswire.com / -- Businesses struggle to fulfil Christmas orders due to labour shortages.

The busiest time of year for businesses has been hit by a labour shortage leaving businesses unable to fulfil orders in time for the big day. The majority of UK retailers have been left concerned by supply chain issues and labour shortages that will affect their ability to meet the demand from their customers.

One of the biggest causes of supply chain issues and delays is down to driver and staffing issues leaving supply chain disruption at a crisis point. Shortages of HGV drivers, fuel prices and inflated shipping costs all have their part to play in the chain of delays, and disruptions caused. A result of this means that countless retailers are affected and experiencing the consequences first hand as they end up with empty shelves and shortages of certain goods in shops and supermarkets at the time of year when consumer expectations are at their highest.

The main reason for this is staffing shortages as companies struggle to recruit staff to fill their seasonal vacancies. Recruitment specialists Nelson Recruitment Services commented that they have ‘seen a huge demand this quarter from businesses trying to fill their temporary roles This is because there are just more vacancies and work available than there are candidates free to carry the work out. It’s positive news for job seekers as there is plenty of work available to those looking, but businesses are struggling to hire and retain staff when current labour shortages mean the competition for them is so high’ Recruiting enough staff to fill roles in time for the Christmas rush is always a challenge but this year more so than ever. Drivers in particular, are in high demand and the lack of these available means that the process of getting stock to the shelves and back out to the customer again is disrupted.

Online retailers and independently run small businesses are also struggling to get orders out in time for Christmas due to postal strikes causing disruptions and other courier services becoming completely overwhelmed as a result. Items ordered using special delivery services such as next day delivery are taking up to a fortnight to arrive with delivery services blaming Black Friday sales for causing the backlog. But throughout all of this, it’s the sheer lack of labour available that seems to be causing the delays in fulfilling orders and getting them out in time for Christmas Day. And it’s not just retail businesses that are struggling to meet the festive demand. Pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues across the country have been experiencing staffing issues causing them to have to cut their festive opening hours during their busiest period.

As the cost of living crisis continues, sales and profits over the festive period are more important to businesses than ever before. But as they struggle to fufil orders and battle labour shortages, many businesses will experience losses and may even face potential closure following the impact of labour shortages this winter.

Laura Masters-Jones
Strategy Plus
+44 7791 308922
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