The beady eyed will have have seen news reports about certain goods that are imported into the UK. With increasing demand for all manner of products – not just stand up paddle boards – there’s a lot of stress and strain put on businesses at the moment. Since the end of COVID Lockdown 1.0 every man and his dog’s been clamoring for ‘toys’ to make the stay at home in Blighty staycation more fun. Add to the mix furlough, whereby more time has been gained as well as (perceived) additional cash to spend, and it’s no wonder demand for all things outdoor recreation has shot up. But there’s more…
With Brexit now making itself felt goods coming into the UK are harder to make happen. There’s additional red tape and what was a much simpler exercise now requires a whole host of box ticking. But there’s more still…
Switching it across to suppliers – mostly located out in the Far East – and they’ve been impacted too. First in terms of their own dealings with COVID but then meeting the extra demand of products and now getting materials from their suppliers to continue production. Then down the delivery chain – whether overland, air, or water – the knock on effect is causing all sorts of snarl ups everywhere. This has meant promised deliveries of inflatable stand up paddle boards, for instance, haven’t happened, leaving customers frustrated and brands fighting fires.
Of course, as a company dealing with any kind of service the buck ultimately stops there. But we know how hard it can be when processes are out of a brand’s hands.
The BBC has been reporting for quite a while about the potential for food shortages and price hikes off the back of the pandemic and Brexit. So taking this alone it’s not hard to see that stand up paddle boarding will also struggle with getting kit on the ground.
We know that all reputable SUP brands are doing everything they can to ensure their customers receive what’s been paid for. In terms of how the rest of summer 2021 pans of for the recreational and SUP industries we’ll have to see. Finger’s crossed everyone gets their goods and can enjoy some fun on the water.