Food manufacturers are warning of delivery delays to St. Petersburg due to the fuel crisis
Food producers from various regions of Russia have begun sending official warnings to retail chains in St. Petersburg regarding possible delays in deliveries.
Logistical problems are caused by an acute fuel shortage, which has particularly affected suppliers from the Volga region and the Southern Federal District.
The letters received by retailers cite force majeure circumstances that make the timely arrival of shipments impossible.
“Due to force majeure, trucks carrying our products may be delayed en route. We ask that you refrain from filing claims regarding delays in the delivery of goods,” states one such notice from a manufacturer in the Ulyanovsk region.
Alexander Myshinsky, chairman of the “Real” group of companies, confirmed that supermarket chains are indeed receiving such notifications from their business partners.
Although the situation has not yet reached a critical point and goods are ultimately being delivered, delays have become a systemic issue for out-of-town shipments.
The Association of Omnichannel Retail Companies (AKORT), which includes leading chains such as “Magnit” and “Lenta,” assured that it is monitoring the situation.
AKORT Chairman Stanislav Bogdanov noted that federal chains are trying to adapt to the new conditions by leveraging their own infrastructure and optimizing routes.
“Currently, large federal retail chains are maintaining the stability of their logistics operations by developing their own infrastructure, route planning, and distribution centers, as well as adapting their processes to current conditions,” Bogdanov said.
He also added that it is currently too early to say whether fuel costs will inevitably be passed on to retail food prices.
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