Fans of the Mars bar are facing shortages as one retailer warned of 'gaps' in supplies. Shelves are running low on the much-loved treat and it is appearing as 'out of stock' on some websites.
It has been reported by BirminghamLive that shops are not expecting deliveries for another fortnight. Mars Wrigley, which produces the bars alongside other well-known snacks such as Galaxy and Snickers, said it was experiencing high demand.
But the company added: "[We want to] reassure the British public that our much-loved brands are still available nationwide." Britain is facing food shortages on a number of fronts due to spiking wholesale prices, weather conditions and international import issues - particularly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
One major retailer told The Guardian: "It looks like a production issue on Mars' end may be causing gaps across retailers."
In July, US chocolate company Hershey warned that it would fall short of meeting demand for Halloween and Christmas this year. The firm blamed a scarcity of raw ingredients and difficulties in securing suppliers.
The Russia-Ukraine war and global supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic have crunched supplies of edible oil, cocoa and other major food ingredients. In the UK, there has been a dramatic increase in the price of potatoes after the recent heatwave. The sweltering heat caused crops across the country to die.
Other crops that were affected were Brussel sprouts. This means that millions could miss out on having sprouts on their plates for Christmas dinner. Fish and chip shops are facing big problems too, as the price of both fish and cooking oil have also recently rocketed - partially due to a shortage of whitefish normally caught in Russian waters.
