London (CNN Business) UK ports are suffering from "significant disruption" that threatens to delay Christmas orders and push up the prices of goods even before Brexit hits, according to industry groups that warn companies are losing millions of pounds in sales. The British Retail Consortium and the Food and Drink Federation on Thursday called for an urgent inquiry into delays at ports , including Felixstowe and Southampton. Delays in getting goods onto shelves are hurting sales at a crucial time of the year and will force retailers to increase the prices of products. One company has lost over £1 million ($1.4 million) in sales due to the delays, the groups said in a letter to the UK parliament. "The lead up to Christmas is the most important time of year for retailers; ordinarily accounting for up [to] a fifth of the entire year's sales," said British Retail Consortium CEO Helen Dickinson.

Source: CNN December 17, 2020 15:29 UTC