Since the storms the UK faced at the beginning of the year that destroyed both homes and fences, many suppliers have experienced a shortage in softwood fencing materials as many hurry to replace broken fences. The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) revealed that although the storms were by now quite some time ago, the shortage of wooden fence panels looks set to stay at crisis level for several months, and it’s already having a knock-on effect on the timber industry as a whole.

The timber shortage many suppliers are experiencing is affecting fence installers, consumers and retailers, who are all trying to find ways around the lack of wood needed for fences. A large number of major suppliers are taking on more workers and investing in more machinery in an attempt to try and speed up panel supply, but as one of the issues also includes a shortage of materials due to the sudden economic upturn, they are not having much success.

The problems highlighted by the fence shortage should urge suppliers to start taking the necessary precautions to ensure that other products likely to be high in demand remain in stock. Failing to meet customer demand puts strain on business relationships and can damage a retailer’s reputation. With Integrity Trader’s builders’ merchant software, suppliers can carefully monitor and manage their stock and generate automatic purchase orders when stock is running low. If you’re keen to avoid a crisis and don’t want to disappoint your customers, explore the Integrity Trader website now to find out more about how you can benefit from our retail management software, or get in touch with a member of the team today.