The government has turned to Tesco’s renowned former boss Dave Lewis to fix the mounting supply chain problems that are impacting consumers and the economy.
A post-Brexit shortage of lorry drivers and factory workers, exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis, has led to disruption to the supply of fuel, food, and other items in recent months.
Lewis, once dubbed ‘drastic Dave’ during his time at Unilever for turning around faltering brands, is taking on a three-month stint as supply chain adviser for the government. He left Tesco in October last year having declared the retailer’s turnaround complete.
Amid industry criticism of the government’s response to the supply chain crisis, the appointment of the well-respected Lewis is seen as an olive branch to the business community.
The government said Lewis will advise both Boris Johnson and Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay on immediate improvements and any necessary long-term changes to the country’s supply chains for goods.
He will also be tasked with trying to quickly resolve any acute, short-term issues. “This includes both identifying the causes of current blockages and pre-empting potential future ones, and advising on resolutions either through direct government action or through industry with government support,” a statement said.
Meanwhile, Lewis will co-chair the government’s new Supply Chain Advisory Group, made up of external experts, and the new Industry Taskforce.
“There are currently global supply issues which we are working with industry to mitigate, and Dave brings a wealth of experience which will help us continue to protect our businesses and supply chains,” Johnson said.
The appointment comes as data revealed that around one in six adults in Britain has been unable to buy essential food items in the last fortnight.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), some 17% of adults said they had not been able to purchase such goods because they were not available. Almost a quarter (23%) said the same for non-essential food items.
Alongside its half-year results last week, Tesco stated that as industry supply chains came under pressure, it was able to leverage its supplier relationships and distribution capability to maintain good levels of product availability, contributing to its market outperformance.
However, its CEO Ken Murphy warned that there “will be bumps in the road in the run-up to Christmas. We’re seeing our share of challenges.”
