Coca-Cola Europacific is the latest company to flag a shortage caused by supply chain disruption, with the packaging firm reporting a shortage of aluminium cans.
"Supply chain management has become the most important aspect following the pandemic, to ensure we have continuity for customers,” Nik Jhangiani, the chief financial officer of Coca-Cola Europacific (CCEP) told the Press Association.
"We are very happy with how we have performed in the circumstances, with service levels higher than a lot of our market competitors.
"There are still logistical challenges and issues though, as with every sector, and the shortage of aluminium cans is a key one for us now, but we are working with customers to successfully manage this,” he added.
The shortage may hit supplies of Coke cans, which might be enough to drive some cola fans to drink – if they can find a pub serving booze.
On Tuesday, JD Wetherspoon (LSE:JDW) reported that it was experiencing some supply problems with both Carling and Coors beers.
That sent “remoaners” on Twitter into a frenzy and prompted many misspellings of the word schadenfreude, as opponents of Britain’s exit from the European Union were quick to blame Brexit for the pub chain’s shortages; Tim Martin, the founder and chairman of ‘Spoons, has been a vociferous (and then some) advocate for the UK leaving the European Union.
Two days later, the tweets on the social media network mocking Martin are still coming thick and fast – more “thick” in some cases – and they may have touched a nerve because Martin has suggested the shortages were more down to industrial action in recent weeks by drivers and warehouse staff at drinks distributor XPO Logistics.
#wetherspoons runs low on beer amid driver shortage.https://t.co/LVV3xBuRUm
Poetic justice as #Brexit backing #TimMartin runs out of beer.
Try a real pub instead and use the #NeverSpoons ap
https://neverspoons.https://t.co/LVV3xBuRUm pic.twitter.com/2JkvNlJ1Bs
— Ian D Burrell (@Lost_Tribe) September 2, 2021
Martin said although “strenous efforts” are being made to link the supply issues to Brexit, “in this case the main link relates to industrial action”.
“There are supply chain issues in many EU countries following the pandemic.
“It has been widely reported that there are shortages of 400,000 HGV [heavy goods vehicle] drivers in Germany, France and Spain, for example, and Germany, in particular, is struggling with major worldwide supply chain issues,” Martin said.
So, stick that on the side of the bus and believe it if you will.
Wetherspoon’s Tim Martin plays down Brexit role after beer supply issues https://t.co/6wVkCrvBwn
— Cengiz Adabag (@adabagcompany) September 2, 2021
The top brass at the Road Haulage Association claimed last week that the current shortage of lorry drivers – estimated at around 100,000 drivers – has been caused by thousands of European drivers returning to the mainland during the pandemic and staying there.
Meanwhile, Ivan Menezes, the chief executive of Johnnie Walker whisky maker Diageo PLC (LSE:DGE), has also admitted to facing supply chain disruption.
Menezes told Sky News that the Diageo team is having to pull out all of the stops to keep its customers supplied but he said he expects the group “to be able to fulfil the global demand for our products over the next few months”.
Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin denies beer shortages linked to Brexit. pic.twitter.com/RCgFfpRt9M
— Ian Guider (@ianguider) September 2, 2021