Covid-19 may have put Brexit strategy on the backburner, but has the existential threat posed by the pandemic recalibrated how brands view Britains exit from the EU?

With attention diverted by the all-encompassing trauma that is Covid-19 it has been easy to forget that, prior to the spring of 2020, Brexit was the biggest challenge facing most UK companies.

Now, just months before the transition period of the UKs departure from the EU ends on 31 December, businesses still dont know what shape Britain's future relationship with its nearest neighbours will take.

Have they been able to make any preparations for Brexit, or has dealing with the pandemic taken all their time and energy?

Shoe brand Joseph Cheaney imports nearly all its raw materials, particularly leather, from the EU. The tanneries are based in France, Italy, Germany. They make the best calf leather in the world and thats where we buy it from, explains joint managing director William Church.

He is hoping that tariff-free imports of these materials will still be possible next year and that any delays from customs checks will be minimal. Stockpiling large quantities of materials in case of supply issues isnt practical and the company wont be repeating the efforts it made on previous occasions when a cliff-edge Brexit looked likely.

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Is Covid-19 giving brands a new perspective on Brexit? - Marketing Week