Twinkle Dharmani
UK’s 40-year high inflation rate of 9 percent exceeds that of other G7 nations like the US and Germany. Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine being the primary reasons for high figures globally, UK’s Brexit is another major blow to the country’s economy. With food inflation at 6.7 percent, we spoke to Sravan Gupta of Apna Desi Cart, an independent distributor and retailer, to understand the ground realities of operating a food business against this backdrop.
Gupta imports food items from India to deliver in the cities of Manchester, Leeds Birmingham, etc. In the interview, he highlights the issues of supply chain disruptions, fuel price rise and a shortage of delivery drivers. These issues point to the country’s macro economic situation exacerbated by post-Brexit border red tape and shortage of cheap European labour. Amidst this perfect storm, a slowdown in customers facing high prices, in turn affects the business poorly.