AFTER the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria last months, logistics operations in the area were effectively stopped, reports Maersk's European market update.

"The Port of Iskenderun remains closed, and we continue to serve customers from the Port of Mersim. As soon as the terminal at Port of Iskenderun is back in function, we will resume our service to the port," said Maersk.

"In April, Europe will see closures during the Easter weekend across the region, as well as local holidays such as King's Day and Liberation Day in the Netherlands.

In France, a series of strikes that started in January are impacting logistics operations. At the moment, a national strike is taking place, resulting in contingencies affecting vessels.

"Our teams are working hard on minimizing impact to customers by finding alternative solutions and diverting cargo where appropriate. As the situation is constantly evolving, we will keep customers updated on the dedicated advisory page," said the report.

To improve delivery to customers, various actions are in play including launching proforma changes to our Trans-Atlantic (2M) network to improve the reliability. This will enable us to accelerate our strategy and create improved end-to-end, reliable, sustainable and flexible solutions for customers, said the update.

"All European hubs and primary gateway terminals are stable at this time, and we have sufficient availability of dry and reefer equipment to cover planned requirements for customers," it said.

Maersk said it continues to monitor the situation in Ukraine and is now offering direct bookings to the country from around the world.

On the consumer side, the continued concern over inflation and rising prices is resulting in a lower consumer spend, and consequently having an impact on the overall economic situation. Consumer confidence and optimism continue to decrease, with all categories except groceries, gasoline, and pet food expected to see a lower consumer spend (McKinsey).

Four out of five consumers report changing their shopping behaviour in the last months of 2022, and nearly half plan to make changes in the coming months.

"In an effort to save disposable income, consumers are not only turning to private labels, but nine per cent plan to try new digital shopping methods, while 12 per cent plan to switch to shopping from different websites," said the Maersk update.