How much of the "shortage" of de-icing fluid, road salt, etc is caused by a significant proportion of the UK starting a holiday around December 20 and not coming back to work agai until the second Monday in January. Aviation should be well aware of this as they are carrying them all to/from the ski slopes, relatives overseas, etc. Bu it grossly disrupts the supply chain for weeks. You try and spot hire large lorries to carry materials - no driver available. And "management" at many organisations to arrange things, or authorise expenditure, are depleted as well, down to a skeleton.