13 May 2020
COVID-19 presents a number of ongoing issues in the supply chain for business’s across the UK, with some Southern based ports experiencing increased lead times, longer queues and restricted driver availability for onward freight.
Long road journeys to Northern distribution centres has meant even further delay for goods arriving onshore to reach their final destination.
With high volatile demand, reliable routes to market are critical and with increased uncertainty surrounding the future of logistics and the overall supply chain, it is vital that businesses have access to a well-connected Port.
The Port of Liverpool has been a viable alternative even before COVID-19, but a growing amount of businesses are understanding that it makes commercial and viable sense to ship products close to destination. Liverpool’s lead times have never been more efficient and with average truck turnaround times now consistently below 40 minutes, the Port is currently offering a leading service standard.
Having experienced a number of delays from certain Southern based routes, Edge Worldwide decided to choose the Port of Liverpool as the Port of Choice for a handful of their wholesale & retail clients, moving container shipments and distribution from the South to the North without disruption.
Efficient lead times and the added benefit of shortening the land journey to end destination, means that the customer goods reached shelves quicker providing relief for stores under consumer pressure.
Andy Raglan, Managing Director from Edge Worldwide said: “Liverpool has been a growing opportunity for a number of our customers even before the pandemic, highlighting it as a viable alternative to Southern Ports. With the blank sailings impacting the supply chain in the South, we are seeing more and more customers requesting to use Liverpool instead.
During this time Liverpool has continued to impress with its collaborative approach to business and the operational efficiency provided by the new deep sea terminal. We have been successfully able to move container shipments to Liverpool without disruption - and have experienced multiple benefits as a result.
We can only see its influence growing, and for businesses based in the north that want to get its cargo closer to destination, Liverpool is the Port of choice."
Edge Worldwide’s experience offers a vote of confidence that shipping to the North of England is a competitive route to international markets and the Port of Liverpool provides a very real solution to time critical cargo from across the Globe.
In particular, businesses with distribution centres located in the North can take advantage of connectivity provided by Peel Port’s multimodal services – including rail transport to Scotland and potential connections to Daventry, Midlands and other locations with sufficient demand. Additionally, quick turnaround times enable hauliers to carry an average, 2-3 journeys a day, reducing the burden on the transport industry and delivering more cargo on a daily basis.
David Huck, Managing Director at Peel Ports, said: “At difficult times like these, Retailers want to know that their supply chains are able to cope with increased demand and we can prove that the Port of Liverpool is ready to meet their needs.
Our improved lead times also mark a further shift away from Southern ports, with problems only expected to worsen, COVID-19 shows no immediate sign of easing and delays are getting longer. We’re pleased that we can offer relief and efficiency to Retailers under pressure.
Like Edge Worldwide, an increasing number of businesses are understanding that it makes more sense to ship products closer to their end destinations and our growing customer base, is a vote of confidence that shipping to the North of England is a competitive route to international markets and the Port of Liverpool is a major port close to the final destination of the cargo.”