We link to the original sources below. Sections labelled “Sandycroft analysis” contain our interpretation and practical suggestions. Product and service links are commercial suggestions from Sandycroft, separate from the source reporting.
SOURCED NEWS SUMMARY
The news
The Office for National Statistics published its latest Business Insights and Conditions Survey results on 5 November. In October, 31% of responding businesses with 10 or more employees reported concern about international conflict affecting supply chains over the next year, while 21% cited shipping disruption and 21% cited cyber attacks. The cyber proportion was the highest since that question was introduced in September 2024.
Among businesses with 10 or more employees that reported on supply-chain concerns, 64% expected the cost of sourcing materials to be affected and 60% expected transportation costs to be affected. Both were nine percentage points higher than in September 2026. In late October, 69% of all responding businesses expressed some degree of concern about energy prices and 70% about fuel prices.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Read the survey limits before using the numbers
The ONS labels these as official statistics in development and advises caution. The survey ran from 19 October to 1 November, and several headline supply-chain measures refer only to businesses with 10 or more employees. They should not be quoted as though 21% of all sole traders or microbusinesses reported the same concern.
Use the release as a risk prompt, not as a forecast of your own costs. Your exposure depends on the products, origin, carrier, contract terms, delivery route, stock cover and supplier concentration. Replace general anxiety with a short evidence file for the inputs that could actually interrupt production or customer delivery.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Sandycroft business context: build a critical-input register
List the materials and services that would stop an order if unavailable: core garment sizes and colours, embroidery thread and backing, print media, inks, mug blanks, packaging, courier collections, electricity and key software. Record the supplier, alternative source, normal lead time, current stock cover, last verified price and the customer orders depending on it.
Set simple triggers for action, such as a confirmed supplier delay, a freight surcharge above an agreed amount, stock cover below the busiest-week requirement or a substitute that changes product specification. Do not buy large speculative quantities solely because a national survey shows concern; tie each purchase to demand, shelf life, cash capacity and an approved fallback.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Test freight and customer promises
Ask important suppliers and carriers for current lead times, cut-off dates, surcharge rules and rerouting options. Separate a quotation’s product price, freight, duty, handling and delivery date so a change can be traced. For imported goods, confirm who is responsible for the customs declaration and any additional charge before accepting a fixed-price customer order.
Review website and quotation wording for products with uncertain availability. Give customers realistic dispatch ranges, identify substitutions that require approval and avoid promising next-day completion until stock and production capacity are confirmed. For branded workwear, keep an approved alternative garment with comparable sizing and decoration suitability rather than switching silently.
SANDYCROFT ANALYSIS
Treat cyber security as part of supplier continuity
A disrupted supplier can also become a route for payment fraud. Verify bank-detail changes through a known contact using a previously held number, restrict who can edit supplier records and keep purchase-order, invoice and delivery evidence together. Do not rely on a reply within the same email thread if the request is unusual or urgent.
Document the contacts and manual steps needed if an ordering portal, courier integration or production workstation is unavailable. Keep protected backups of essential artwork, job sheets and customer records, and test restoration. The aim is not to predict the next incident but to know which orders, payments and communications can continue safely.
CHECK THE ORIGINAL REPORTING
Sources & dates
- Office for National Statistics — Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 5 November 2026 Published 5 November 2026