London: UK retailers are facing a double whammy of sliding sales and global supply crunch, making it tough for stores to obtain goods ahead of the Christmas shopping season, data showed Friday.
Retail sales dropped 0.9 percent in August from the prior month, with the grocery sector hit by people returning to restaurants and pubs after the lifting of virus curbs, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.
A significant number of retailers are additionally unable to source enough products because of the supply crunch caused in large part by a shortage of lorry driver owing to Covid and Brexit fallout.
The ONS on Friday said that 6.5 percent of retail firms were unable to obtain materials, goods or services needed from within the UK in the two weeks to August 22.
Department stores were the hardest hit at 18.2 percent, followed by clothing stores at 11.1 percent.
Economists said Friday’s gloomy news spells Christmas trouble for retailers.
“A perfect storm of labour shortages, supply chain issues and increased demand will continue to test retail leaders,” said Oliver…
