last post AIRSOFT, BREXIT AND...
AIRSOFT, BREXIT AND THE ELUSIVE CONTAINER...
WHEN YOU START A PIECE BY RESEARCHING SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS, VALUE ADDED TAX AND THE EFFECT OF COVID WORLDWIDE, YOU JUST KNOW YOU’RE IN FOR AN ABSOLUTE ROLLERCOASTER OF A RIDE AS FRENCHIE DISCOVERED...
O
kay, sort of, but I had reason recently to spend some time chatting with the manager of one of the UK’s major airsoft retailers and it was something of a tale of woe. That got me thinking, and thinking got me reading and that all got me writing, so here we are. I doubt that any of you haven’t remarked on empty supermarket shelves or rising prices. To understand why this is the case involves both Brexit and Covid, a perfect storm for the UK, and not a whole lot of fun for anyone else frankly. The upshot is, as it was told to me, anyone who is waiting for a ‘reset’, when all will be as it was before this all kicked off, is probably on a hiding to nothing. The world has changed, certainly for the foreseeable future and choices within airsoft are likely to shrink, while prices creep upwards. According to the conversation I had, there are two causes of this; firstly the massively increased cost of shipping freight around the world, and secondly changes to customs regulations in the UK as a result of Brexit and our withdrawal from the EU. Shipping first. I doubt anyone hasn’t heard either first hand or via the media that the cost and availability of shipping has increased massively. This
increased cost has to some extent been swallowed by importers but that isn’t a state of affairs that can persist and we should expect to see it reflected in the prices we pay sooner rather than later. The worldwide pandemic has been responsible for this; as the production of goods was affected by lockdowns so was the process of shipping those goods. When shipping was possible, the goods themselves were delayed, or ships weren’t available to transport them. Possibly they left as scheduled, but found themselves unable to dock at their intended destination because of Covid measures there, requiring rerouting, rescheduling, delays and the additional costs involved in getting them to their ultimate destination. This also
“I DOUBT ANYONE HASN’T HEARD EITHER FIRST HAND OR VIA THE MEDIA THAT THE COST AND AVAILABILITY OF SHIPPING HAS INCREASED MASSIVELY. THIS INCREASED COST HAS TO SOME EXTENT BEEN SWALLOWED BY IMPORTERS BUT THAT ISN’T A STATE OF AFFAIRS THAT CAN PERSIST AND WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE IT REFLECTED IN THE PRICES WE PAY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER” 90
JANUARY 2022
