Lidl, Asda and UK supermarkets suffering supply shortages

The latest shortages are a result of unexpected heavy rainfall in key growing areas, particularly in southern Europe and North Africa.

Strawberries, raspberries, avocados, and peppers are the worst-affected items, according to The Grocer.

Analysis by The Grocer showed strawberries in particular have been in short supply, especially in Tesco, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, and Asda.

Issues with raspberry stocks have also been reported, especially in Morrisons and Lidl, while the supply of avocados and peppers has also been low in several UK supermarkets.

Retail experts urge Brits to “shop as normal” amid ongoing supply shortage

Almost a third (29%) of shoppers have been left unable to buy fruit and vegetables over the past week, according to a recent survey by product intelligence business Vypr .

Around 26% of consumers said the shortages had forced them to shop at multiple supermarkets, while 67% are worried about potential price increases caused by the recent issues.

Despite concerns about the recent shortages, retail expert and Vypr founder Ben Davies said there was “nothing to be concerned about in terms of food security or general shortages”.

Mr Davies explained: “What it means is that some products are not readily available, but there is still plenty of other food.

“It may mean there are slightly higher prices temporarily as supermarkets won’t be able to run volume promotions on items that are in short supply.

“The supermarket buying teams will be looking at other options for sourcing their fruit and veg if they need to, and everyone will be working very hard to restore the shelves to normal levels.”

The retail expert, whose company works with the likes of Marks & Spencer (M&S), Hallmark, and The Gym Kitchen, also urged shoppers to refrain from panic buying during the shortages.

Mr Davies said: “It’s easy for consumers to feel frustrated when they can’t find what they’re looking for on the shelves, but it’s worth remembering that there are a lot of people working very hard behind the scenes to fix this.

“The buyers, growers, and logistics teams are all pulling together to get things back to normal as quickly as they can.

“The one thing that doesn’t help is panic buying.

“As soon as people start loading their trolleys with extra stock ‘just in case’, the shortage spreads well beyond what the weather actually caused.

“So the best advice is simply to shop as you normally would and consider the needs of others.”

The Vypr founder also recommended shoppers look for other seasonal produce grown within the UK or use frozen alternatives to help survive the stock shortages.

How long will these supermarket shortages last?

Mr Davies said these fruit and vegetable stock shortages could last anywhere from two to six weeks.

He explained: “Typically, these situations resolve within around two – six weeks, depending on the weather and whether buyers can find alternative suppliers from different regions.

“Fresh produce supply chains are actually very agile, but the crops still need some time to grow.”

Around 71% of shoppers have reported not seeing any supply shortages in their local supermaket in recent weeks, but Mr Davies warned retailers to be cautious.

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He said: “While the number of consumers who have been affected by the fruit shortages is small according to our data, what retailers need to be cautious of is that consumers will get frustrated if shortages become more regular.

“Strawberries and raspberries are out of season but we have become accustomed to everything being available 12 months a year and a small, but significant proportion of shoppers are going elsewhere to purchase what they can’t readily find.

“All stages of supply chain will be working hard to rectify this and hopefully this current shortage will be over quickly with minimal lasting impact.”

Have you been affected by supply shortages at your local supermarket? Let us know in our poll above or in the comments below.