Spiraling energy costs, rising inflation, changing labour market forces, and Brexit regulations adding to pandemic restrictions have created issues [we have never faced before at such high levels." Consumer Markets Analyst Simon Creasey reports on the industry`s response.
Last year talk of `shortages` dominated the news headlines. There was a shortage of truck drivers that led to shortages at the petrol pumps and of goods stocked on supermarket shelves. There was a shortage of workers to fulfil numerous different tasks, from picking fruit and vegetables on farms to working in meat processing plants, due in part to issues like the Covid-19 pandemic. In some countries there was also a shortage of energy, which had a major impact on individuals and on businesses, as prices soared and many energy companies went under.