Lhe garden centers in the UK are facing a major problem. Collateral damage to the confinement – which left the British plenty of time to take care of their patch of greenery – and the blockage of the Suez Canal, the kingdom is suffering from a shortage of garden gnomes. It’s a story that makes you smile, revealed Thursday, April 15 by BBC, while the latest news on the pandemic front is not encouraging.
The British have loved since the XIXe century place these little bearded figures in the heart of their garden. And while the number of budding gardeners has increased considerably with the successive lockdowns introduced in the United Kingdom to fight the epidemic due to the coronavirus – of which England has only just emerged – the supply of garden gnomes n did not follow.
No garden gnomes “for six months”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t seen any dwarves for six months! “exclaimed Ian Byrne, who runs a garden store, and “Whatever their type – plastic, stone or ceramic ”. The manager of Highfield Garden World (in the west of England) explained to the BBC that after a “Massive increase” sales, his company was in the process of reaching out to suppliers in Europe and China to resolve issues. “Supply problems”.
Also involved, “The great solicitation of garden centers. According to the figures for March 2021, we recorded 97% more work compared to 2019 ”. He added that the shortage is not only affecting UK garden stores, but also those across Europe.
Delays in delivery after the blockade of the Suez Canal
For the CEO of the Garden Center Association, Iain Wylie, the shortage is also explained by the sea freight congestion created in March by the blockage of the Suez Canal by the ship. Ever-Given for a whole week. “Garden furniture, decorations – and therefore garden gnomes – are stuck in the containers ”, he explained.
Swedish furniture giant Ikea said in March it had experienced similar supply issues due to high demand and shipping issues. According to the maritime data company Lloyd’s List, the blockade of the Suez Canal has prevented the passage of cargoes estimated at 9.6 billion dollars (8 billion euros) between Asia and Europe every day.