Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Although there are some regional variations, absence rates within the food and consumer goods industry due to the Omicron variant are declining . Food and consumer goods businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment l...

The cost of living is rising at its fastest rate in 30 years and shopper confidence is at rock bottom. Plus, economic recovery is fragile, with little room to absorb new shocks. IGD CEO, Susan Barratt, examines how the rest of 2022 might play out for shoppers and the food and consumer goods industry. UK food and consumer goods businesses performed well over Christmas, despite ongoing operation...

Watch this short video from IGD Chief Economist James Walton in which James looks at the impact of the Ukraine crisis on food supply. The video provides insight on the following areas: Impact on global trade Key categories impacted Key countries impacted Impact on prices and shoppers More economic news and analysis Explore Sign up to our ...

Last year, IGD researched labour in the UK food and consumer goods supply chain – we identified high “churn” as a persistent issue, with COVID-19 and departure of EU workers exacerbating long-standing challenges. Some contacts noted that workers – especially older workers – had been prompted to change their lifestyles as a result of COVID. Research from other source has now expanded ou...

Your overview of economic and policy news with a focus on the food and consumer goods industry, featuring the latest developments and guidance on the Ukraine crisis, the rising cost of living, labour shortages, COVID-19 and adapting to a new relationship with the EU. Ukraine crisis – food impact With Ukraine accounting for 9% of global wheat trade and 11% of barley trade, the curren...

A lot has changed in the last two years, in fact, we have probably experienced more volatility in the market than ever. Often during times of volatility, new opportunities arise and shopper and consumer behaviour has certainly changed in the short term, maybe forever. Building and owning a robust category vision should help direct the whole of your business plans. It’s essential you take into ...

Did you know? Only 1 in 4 joint business plans create true value? 1 Traditional levers for unlocking value are at saturation point Collaborative relationships are under strain, driven by cost pressures It is easy to give value away for free We can’t create value alone. It can be helpful to think about value through three lenses: your own organisation, the customer, and th...

IMF’s latest update to finance ministers of the G20 warns that the global economic recovery from COVID-19 is expected to slow, due to inflation across developed markets and future uncertainty around the development of the pandemic. Risks threaten global recovery Whilst recovery across developed economies was strong in 2021, the global economy is entering a difficult stage. The updat...

Your overview of economic and policy news with a focus on the food and consumer goods industry, featuring the latest developments and guidance on COVID-19, the rising cost of living, labour shortages and adapting to a new relationship with the EU. Ukraine crisis impact While the UK food supply chain has proved to be highly resilient, concerns have been raised about how this will be ...

The Russia / Ukraine crisis continues to worsen, with Russian forces now reported to be active within Ukrainian borders. In addition to humanitarian concerns, this has wide economic and commercial implications for food, since both parties are major producers and exporters of agricultural products. Global food commodity markets are dominated by a few very large exporters – for exampl...