The association’s Director General, Robert Keen says people need to maintain a sense of perspective or the headlines about supply chain disruption may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
He says many products consumers fear will be absent from shops may have been shipped and received by retailers already.
“If we see normal purchasing patterns, we should also see that most of what consumers are seeking will be available to purchase,” he says.
Admitting there are operational challenges, Keen adds: “Our members and freight forwarders across the world, that are responsible for managing the supply chains that underpin global trade, are moving hell and high water to address them and doing their part to ensure that the forthcoming holiday season will go ahead as well as possible.”
Keen believes that supply chain issues are an opportunity for the industry to demonstrate its significance and the magnitude of modern supply chains to the general public, and how vulnerable they can be.
He says the current issues raise awareness about the importance of supply chain management and the logistics sector, saying: “It should also put the precarious balancing act of supply chain management into perspective and hopefully lead to a deeper appreciation from the consumer for end products, and the essential role of the freight industry in delivering them.”