Why is garden furniture in short supply? Which report April 2021.

And of the 42% who returned items to sellers or manufacturers in the EU, 87% faced delays, unexpected paperwork or extra charges. With current coronavirus rules meaning all socialising has to be done outdoors, it’s not surprising that people are stocking up on garden furniture. And uncertainty surrounding foreign holidays this summer is adding to many people’s desire to make their gardens as pretty and practical as possible. Gina Hinde, marketing manager at the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association (LOFA), says: ‘Demand for outdoor furniture and barbecues has swelled since last March and it will continue because of people spending more time in their gardens rather than going abroad.’ Find out more: best and worst furniture shops Delays and price surges hitting the shipping industry Swelling shipping costs and delays on routes are being blamed for the shortages of outdoor furniture. According to Hinde, shipments from East Asia have been delayed by around two months because of Brexit-related congestion at UK ports, while a shortage of shipping containers has sent the price of a container skyrocketing from around £870-1,100 to £5,100-12,300. This problem isn’t exclusive to outdoor furniture, either: small electrical items including kettles, microwaves and toasters have also been hit, with some models unavailable for several weeks at a time. The situation was already tricky enough, but then came last month’s headline-grabbing blockage of the Suez Canal. For six days, no ships could pass through from East Asia to Europe or vice versa – and, given that around 12% of global trade is said to use the canal, the incident is expected to cause problems throughout the summer. Retailers including Argos, IKEA and John Lewis have warned customers that garden furniture could be in short supply this year. And to Aldi fans’ horror, several of the discounter’s Specialbuy ranges, including mountain bikes and car seats, have also been affected.

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/04/brexit-and-covid-cause-headache-for-garden-furniture-pet-food-and-plant-shoppers/ - Which?