By Retailers worldwide have never had more reason to pack warehouses to the brim and keep stock closer to shoppers who continue to buy a record number of items online.
As well as stocking up for Christmas and any potential coronavirusrelated lockdowns, Europe and the UK will soon have Brexit to deal with.
British companies are bringing as much as possible into the country before potential disruptions in January, while their European counterparts are piling up goods in panEuropean distribution hubs close to ports like Hamburg or Rotterdam.
Ecommerce management platforms including ZigZag and Globale which serve Forever 21, Boohoo, Gap, Selfridges and Hugo Boss said around 3035 of UK retailers sales are to customers in continental Europe. Brands popular in the UK like Chinese ecommerce retailer Shein or American sportswear brand Under Armour are currently stocked exclusively in the EU, ZigZag CEO Al Gerrie said.
The rise in ecommerce throughout the year as a consequence of the pandemic had already pushed warehouse space to the limit.
Most carriers already operated at Christmas volumes during the first wave. If you now add the Christmas effect on top, its just getting even more challenging, CFO of European ecommerce retailer Zalando, David Schroeder, said in November.
Demand for storage space after Brexit could shoot up even further as retailers seek to avoid customs checks and, if no deal is struck, tariffs.
Retailers wont want to be caught out again, said Nick Cook,…
