2020 and 2021 will go down in economic history as two of the strangest years that European businesses have faced in recent memory. The spectre of a downturn in the economy saw many companies start 2020 cautiously and with little prospect for strong growth. Then came COVID-19 and an unprecedented series of lockdowns which disrupted economies, businesses, and consumer behaviour.
Fast forward to mid-2021. Businesses and consumers have adapted to the changed
marketplace and the widespread rollout of vaccines has tempered the impact of COVID-19
on the economy in many markets. But as lockdowns eased and economies restarted, up- and
downstream stocks were almost completely empty. This resulted in an unprecedented
supply/demand imbalance around the globe.
At the same time, the trend to home working and a boom in e-commerce have created
significant demand for home appliances, more warehouses, racking systems…
