Food prices to rise due to lorry driver shortage, Morrisons boss warns
SUPERMARKET prices will rise due to the ongoing lorry driver shortage, the boss of Morrisons has warned.
David Potts, the supermarket‘s chief executive, said the cost of your weekly food shop could be pushed up by the supply chain issues.
The UK is facing a HGV driver shortage, with experts estimating there is a huge 100,000 shortfall.
It’s been caused by drivers leaving the profession, a lack of new drivers training during the pandemic, some workers returning to EU countries and a backlog in licence tests.
The Sun has launched a Keep on Trucking campaign to plug the gap.
The crisis has led to shortages on supermarket shelves and at restaurant and pub chains across the UK.
Nando’s was forced to close 50 restaurants after it ran out of chicken last month and McDonald’s suffered a nationwide shortage of milkshakes.
Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: “We expect some industry-wide retail price inflation during the second half [of the year], driven by sustained recent commodity price increases and freight inflation, and the current shortage of HGV drivers.
“We will seek to mitigate these and other potential cost increases, such as
any incurred to maintain good on-shelf availability.”
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It’s not yet clear how much the cost of food could increase by.
Tesco’s chairman John Allan has previously warned that there could be a shortage of Christmas stock.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that supermarkets would usually be getting their Christmas stock ready now but are busy keeping up with current demand.
Meanwhile, Co-op boss Steve Murrells told The Times last month that supermarket shortages are the worst he’s ever seen.
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