Some fruits and vegetables could be rare after a Brexit without agreement

Several British retailers and a government report have tried to shed light on what consumers can expect to find on supermarket shelves after October 31st.

 

 

 

Several distribution channels (John Lewis, Co-Operative Group) and a government report have tried to uncover what consumers can expect to find - or not find - on supermarket shelves after October 31st.

 

 

 

Although the government has demanded that supermarkets prepare for a "hard" Brexit by stockpiling food products, retailers have made it clear that this precautionary storage is limited. Limited by the necessary storage space and limited by the choice of goods.

 

 

 

For all short-lived fresh products that are imported from Europe, storage is not possible. Retailers warn that some fruits and vegetables may be in short supply after a Brexit without agreement.

 

 

 

Fruits such as apples, pears, blueberries and strawberries will have to be transported by air freight from the southern hemisphere to avoid port congestion, feared by transport professionals. In the case of vegetables, Britain imports about 86% of lettuce and 70% of tomatoes from the EU according to the British Retail Consortium.

 

 

 

Despite these gloomy forecasts, customers show little sign of panic when shopping, retail professionals said.