According data released by the Australia Bureau of Statistics, three in ten local businesses are still experiencing supply chain disruptions as of April 2021.

According to a survey of 2,000 businesses only 3 per cent haven’t felt any issues in its supply chain, while 37 per cent have seen major delays or an inability to get items to customers, and 57 per cent have seen smaller impacts.

More specifically, 52 per cent of retailers experienced disruption to their supply chain, while 19 per cent were impacted to a “great extent”.

In order to manage these impacts, businesses have increasingly changed their ordering behaviour (62 per cent), changed their delivery processes (41 per cent), or changed suppliers when their needs haven’t been fulfilled (39 per cent).

The survey also showed nearly two thirds, or 64 per cent, have been adversely impacted by Covid-19 safety controls, such as additional cleaning, provision of PPE for staff and the physical distancing of customers and employees.