By Rob Taylor, Sales Director.
The first quarter of 2021 has come and gone and the market remains buoyant. I am sure we all had our concerns coming into this year. Over the coming months, the restrictions will be eased and we can hopefully get back to something of normal life (whatever normal is). There are still doubts if we will be able to go on foreign holidays and ‘staycation’ may become the buzz word for 2021.
Ellard has had a positive first quarter with strong sales. This is due to the market conditions and also Ellard’s investment in inventory meaning we have stock available in the UK. One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is rising freight costs and delays at UK ports. Ellard has seen the cost of a 40ft container rise from $2200 to over $12000, with some quotes as high as $15,000.
Ellard realises that stock availability is paramount for our customers and we continue to ship and hold healthy stock levels. Our costs have risen sharply with Ellard absorbing up to 50% of the additional cost but unfortunately, we are going to have a period of increased carriage costs.
From the 1st of April, Ellard no longer offers free delivery and all shipments will be chargeable. Our aim is to do this for a limited period as we are constantly monitoring our transport position.
Our goal is to continue to offer the same excellent service and ensure the availability of stock. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our sales team.
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