750 Million Sprouts to be Eaten this Year at Christmas.
The logistics countdown has begun
We are only in October but if you work in logistics you know the countdown to the holiday season has already begun! It has been a tough year with the industry having to adapt to many changes and just as we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel…the busy season begins!
So, what goes on at Christmas?
Did you know that 25% of the whole year’s brussels sprout sales in the UK are in the two weeks before Christmas? This is equal to 750 million individual sprouts being sold in supermarkets at Christmas time. That’s a LOT of sprouts!
The UK population will pair this with the consumption of more than 250 million roast potatoes. While, according to britishturkey.co.uk an impressive 10 million turkeys are eaten in the UK every year at Christmas. In comparison, only 11.3 million turkeys were produced for consumption in the UK in the whole year of 2021 - so at Christmas, it’s a bad time to be a turkey!
With all these extra one-off, extra goods being purchased, it’s no surprise that the Bank of England said consumers increase their spending by 29% in December, with each person spending an average of £740 extra in this month.
So, why are Chill-Chain interested in what food we buy at Christmas?
Simply put, the more money we spend on food, the more lorries we need on the road. However, the difference is that for most supply chains, the busy period isn’t just in December but it starts around October time, or even earlier for some.
Last year, our volume from September to October increased by around 11%.
During this time we facilitated many bookings, both in advance, contracted and spot or short notice loads as suppliers were working to keep up with demand.
If you do find yourself running short of mince pies, sprouts or anything in between in the lead up to this holiday season, reach out to Chill-Chain who are on hand to help with whatever influx of volume your customers may throw at you. Just think of us as your own Christmas angel.
