Valentine’s Day hit by shortages of wine and flowers as supplies hit by post-Brexit customs rules

Valentine’s Day will be hit by shortages of wine, flowers and presents as supplies are hit by new post-Brexit customs rules (which at least gives you a good excuse if you forget)

  • Supply chain experts say Valentine’s Day will be the first test of post-Brexit rules
  • The new rules, which came in on January 1, require a new code to clear customs
  • Some importers claim the were not told of changes, which has led to disruption 
  • Some suppliers say they are having to reuse left over stock purchased last year 


Valentine’s Day could be off the cards for many couples as florists, wine-sellers and gift companies say they are struggling to import products due to post-Brexit custom rules.   

The new rules, which came into force on January 1, require a new code to clear goods at customs, but some importers claim they were not told of the changes, which has resulted in disruption for UK firms. 

Supply chain experts have said Valentine’s Day will be the ‘first proper test’ of the post-Brexit supply chains. 

Richard Bartlett, supply chain expert and UK director of logistics firm KlearNow said: ‘Up until January 1, the full effects of trading with the EU after Brexit have been partially mitigated by a 175-day grace period for customs entries.       

Supply chain experts have said Valentine’s Day will be the ‘first proper test’ of the post-Brexit supply chains

‘That safety net for importers and exporters is now gone.

‘Our data [is[ showing that certain product lines have attracted higher than normal delays since January 1, which suggests to us that the new rules are causing significant friction for UK based importers.’

Wine wholesaler Daniel Lambert Wines said it experienced problems landing a major shipment from the EU this week, despite being a trusted importer registered with HMRC.     

‘HMRC rule changes that kicked in at the start of this year, plus new import codes coming online without sufficient notice, were the cause,’ a spokesperson said. 

‘HMRC is not sharing information well enough and if we, as a relatively big importer who gets their paperwork in order weeks in advance, are getting caught out like this, I’m sure the problems are magnified for smaller importers and any importer that relies on ‘just in time’ delivery.’ 

Other small UK-based businesses have also reported disruption.

Wine wholesaler Daniel Lambert Wines said it experienced problems (stock image)

Wine wholesaler Daniel Lambert Wines said it experienced problems (stock image) 

Maureen Glen, who runs Blossoms Florist in Lanarkshire, Scotland, said paperwork delays have held up packaging. 

‘One of the main issues my business has faced isn’t so much the actual flowers but the availability of sundries – wrapping materials, baskets, gift boxes and ribbons,’ she said. 

‘The stock isn’t getting through as quickly and taking a long time to reach us. I believe one of the reasons is that the stock was sent back to the original source due to customs paperwork issues.’

Rosebie Morton, founder and flower farmer at Real Flowers, added: ‘Valentine’s Day is always tricky in terms of supply but it is especially difficult this year as there has been huge volatility in flower prices due to Brexit and massive demand for freight.

‘Planes are being redirected to whichever country is paying the most and high value cargo such as computer chips are taking priority.

‘As a result, around 30 per cent of Valentine’s flowers may well not leave their country of origin resulting in shortages for the retail sector.’

Some retailers are now relying on left-over stock from last year

Some retailers are now relying on left-over stock from last year

Elsewhere, Julie Pearson, owner of Cloudberry Gifts in Edinburgh, said some retailers are now relying on left-over stock from last year.

‘We were all in lockdown during Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter last year so we were all wary of ordering additional stock for Spring this year, most stores had stock they had to receive and keep again to sell this year,’ she said.  

‘Gift companies based in the UK, small independents and larger suppliers use components based in the Far East and have had huge problems receiving stock and have seen container costs rocketing.

‘Other suppliers based in Europe have added freight costs on to their pricing which have added to prices in the shops in the UK.’