Asda Charters Own Cargo Ship To Protect Christmas Supplies

British supermarket group Asda announced that it has chartered its own cargo ship to protect availability of key Christmas products after reporting a drop in underlying sales in the third quarter.

Asda, owned by brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa and private equity group TDR Capital, said on Monday the ship, carrying 350 containers of festive products including decorations, toys, clothing and gifts, would arrive in the United Kingdom shortly.

British retailers are grappling with delays in international supply chains that are being compounded by labour shortages in domestic transport and warehousing networks, with a lack of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers particularly acute.

ESM