| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
| Base Year For Estimation | 2024 |
| Forecast Data Period | 2025 - 2030 |
| Market Size (2025) | USD 12.46 Billion |
| Market Size (2030) | USD 18.44 Billion |
| CAGR (2025 - 2030) | 8.16% |
| Market Concentration | Low |
Major Players
*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
UK Cold Chain Logistics Market Analysis
The United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market size is estimated at USD 12.46 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 18.44 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 8.16% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
- Globalization has led to the development of more complex logistics systems in the country to manage cross-border shipments, and a growing focus on sustainability has pushed companies to adopt environmentally friendly and socially responsible cold chain logistics practices. Also, the gain in importance of the e-commerce market has improved the need for cold chains across the country. Thus supporting the growth of cold-chain logistics in UK.
- The UK cold chain logistics market is set to grow because more people want fresh food and are paying more attention to safety and where their food comes from. This has led to a rise in demand from supermarkets, which are now contracting directly with producers to make sure they have enough and meet customer needs.
- The UK exports more agricultural goods than any other country and its trade with the rest of the European Union (EU) is a key part of its success. Alongside this, it provides high-quality, efficient agricultural services to many countries worldwide. To support these vital links, there needs to be a reliable and robust logistics system in place. Due to the large population of the United Kingdom and its geographic position, it has an important role in trade with Europe. Air, sea, and land logistics are adequate for transporting goods from origins to end users, but there is room for improvement in the short term.
- By slowing down logistics services, the COVID-19 situation kept creating uncertainty in the market. It stopped companies from growing and made people in different client sectors more and more scared. Governments in several places put full lockdowns in place and temporary closures of industries. This led to border restrictions, making it hard for transportation and logistics services to move. After the COVID-19 health catastrophe, the outlook for companies around the world drastically shifted.
UK Cold Chain Logistics Market Trends
Brexit Pushing the Demand for Refrigerated Transportation
After a no-deal Brexit, it will be very hard for the UK to meet the needs of its people, since the EU is one of its main trading partners in the food and drink industry.To get more exporters, the country has cut the taxes on agricultural products from outside the Union.
The European Union is by far the biggest importer of meat, beef, seafood, and drinks from the United States.For the nation, developing a market outside the Union will be a difficult undertaking.
Potential trading partners for the nation include nations like Chile, Australia, and Africa. However, these nations are farther away from the EU than the UK, making trade with them difficult and necessitating cutting-edge cold chain services.
Along with the food and drink industry, the pharmaceutical industry will also have problems due to the possibility of drug shortages. Several big drug companies, like Bayer, Novartis, AstraZeneca, and GSK, have taken steps to make sure they have enough medicine. For example, the leading diabetes pharmaceutical companies in Europe, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi, are hoarding insulin in Britain, which is driving up the need for cutting-edge cold storage facilities.
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Growth In Pharmaceutical Sector
According to Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, Customers in the UK spent close to USD 13.25 billion on pharmaceuticals in 2021. The sales value of pain relief products sold over-the-counter (OTC) increased by 5.2 percent from the previous year. Most of the time, pain relievers, vitamins and minerals, and cough and cold medicines are the three most profitable types of over-the-counter (OTC) products.
The two biggest pharmaceutical companies in Britain are AstraZeneca, which is based in Cambridge, and GlaxoSmithKline, which is based in London. Based on market capitalization, GlaxoSmithKline held the top spot for a while among UK pharmaceutical firms. Even so, AstraZeneca saw a considerable increase in sales as a result of working with an Oxford University team to create the COVID-19 vaccine. According industry reports, AstraZeneca was said to have a market capitalization of over 170 billion British pounds as of November 2022.
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UK Cold Chain Logistics Industry Overview
The demand for UK cold-chain logistics services is rising. Many companies say they have experienced a significant increase in demand, particularly for cost-effective solutions that help them achieve flexibility and responsiveness while keeping costs low. In addition to the increased processing and distribution of goods, customer expectations are changing as customers want suppliers to be more socially responsible and address climate change issues.
Lineage Logistics and Reed Boardall are just a few of the many foreign and domestic companies that dominate the cold chain logistics business in the United Kingdom. The situation after Brexit is expected to make the already-growing storage and transportation industry grow even more.
UK Cold Chain Logistics Market Leaders
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Lineage Logistics
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Culina Group
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Reed Boardall
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NewCold
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McCulla Refrigerated Transport
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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UK Cold Chain Logistics Market News
- January 2023: Constellation Cold Logistics (“Constellation”), through its wholly-owned subsidiary HSH Cold Stores Ltd (“HSH”), announced agreement for the acquisition of Associated Cold Stores & Transport Limited (ACS&T Logistics), a subsidiary of Camellia Plc. The transaction closed on January 2023 and will expand and strengthen HSH’s footprint and service offering for existing and new customers.
- October 2022: Almost half of UK logistics firms is set to make an acquisition in the next year despite challenging market conditions. Data published by Barclays Corporate Banking reported that 45 per cent of UK businesses were considering the move as a way to achieve economies of scale and expand services.
UK Cold Chain Logistics Industry Segmentation
The technique and procedure, known as "cold chain logistics," enable the secure transportation of temperature-sensitive commodities and products throughout the supply chain. It mainly relies on science to assess and account for the relationship between temperature and perishability.
The report provides a comprehensive background analysis of the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market, covering the current market trends, restraints, technological updates, and detailed information on various segments and the competitive landscape of the industry. Additionally, the COVID-19 impact has been incorporated and considered during the study. The United Kingdom cold chain logistics market is segmented by service (storage, transportation, and value-added services), temperature type (chilled, frozen and ambient), and application (horticulture, dairy products, meats, fish, poultry, processed food products, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, chemicals, and other applications). The report offers market size and forecasts for the United Kingdom cold chain logistics market in value (USD) for all the above segments.
| By Services | Storage |
| Transportation | |
| Value-added Services (Blast Freezing, Labeling, Inventory Management, etc.) | |
| By Temperature Type | Chilled |
| Frozen | |
| Ambient | |
| By Application | Horticulture (Fresh Fruits & Vegetables) |
| Dairy Products (Milk, Ice-cream, Butter, etc.) | |
| Meats, Fish, Poultry | |
| Beverages | |
| Pharma, Life Sciences, and Chemicals | |
| Other Applications |
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UK Cold Chain Logistics Market Research FAQs
How big is the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market?
The United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market size is expected to reach USD 12.46 billion in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 8.16% to reach USD 18.44 billion by 2030.
What is the current United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market size?
In 2025, the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market size is expected to reach USD 12.46 billion.
Who are the key players in United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market?
Lineage Logistics, Culina Group, Reed Boardall, NewCold and McCulla Refrigerated Transport are the major companies operating in the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market.
What years does this United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market cover, and what was the market size in 2024?
In 2024, the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market size was estimated at USD 11.44 billion. The report covers the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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UK Cold Chain Logistics Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. United Kingdom Cold Chain Logistics analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
