Asda’s Xmas cargo

ASDA has chartered a cargo ship to overcome problems in the supply chain and make sure the shelves are stocked for Christmas.

The ship, which has 350 containers carrying a range of products including festive decorations, toys and clothing, will arrive in the UK in early december having set sail from China.

The supermarket group has also increased its delivery capacity to 1m slots a week ahead of the peak Christmas shopping period and hired 15,000 temporary staff.

The news came as Asda said sales in the three months to the end of September were 0.7pc lower than the same period last year but 2pc higher than in 2019 before the Covid pandemic struck.