United Kingdom: UK and Irish Food and Retail Updates - April 20 to 30

Over the last week, the UK foodservice sector and non-grocery retail chains continued to face a dire economic situation as the government lockdown measures remained in place. There is a glimmer of hope in the larger food service sector, as some chains have reopened a few of their stores near the National Heath Service (NHS) hospital sites to service the healthcare workers and other essential workers for take-away. Consumers are changing to the online marketplace to look for items that they cannot buy in store, leading to massive surges in online sales. Supermarkets have continued to enjoy strong growth and are adapting quickly to provide consumers more options to shop online. Labor shortage on food production remains a concern, particularly in the horticulture sector, and the government and private sector are working together to bring in experienced farm workers from Eastern Europe. By law, the government needs to review and announce its policy for coping with the next phase of Covid-19 measures by May 7.

United Kingdom: UK and Irish Food and Retail Updates - April 20 to 30