Summer’s over and the countdown to the next big calendar event has well and truly begun. Yes, we’re talking about Christmas. Now’s the time for businesses involved in the distribution and packaging of goods to put in place plans to cope with the huge increase in sales that the festive season brings, including how to handle and dispose of waste materials this busy period inevitably produces.
Be prepared because experts predict Brits will spend even more on online Christmas shopping this year, easily topping the £24bn that ecommerce retailers took last Christmas. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the USA, when stores traditionally start discounting, will undoubtedly see the start of the busiest week. In 2015 sales shot up by 62% to around £4.3bn in this week alone.
Planning for the Christmas surge
Distribution and packaging companies need to plan now to handle the huge surge in business coming their way. Here are some of our top tips to having a successful festive season:
- Starting liaising now with clients about their seasonal ranges, offers, expected demand levels and any packaging and delivery promises they intend to make to their customers, which you will be expected to fulfil
- Discuss and agree the schedule of stock deliveries to the warehouse and/or packing and distribution points
- Liaise on the packaging requirements for different items to ensure that they reach the end customer safely, in one piece and representing the client’s brand as best they can
- Calculate and pre-order all the packaging required
- Estimate the amount of packaging that will need to be disposed of and consider how to handle waste materials
- Work with a waste management company that can take care of all your waste needs
Waste as a resource
Nowadays businesses can do a lot to lower the costs associated with the waste they generate. There are opportunities too. According to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) savings of up to £1,000 per employee per year could be achieved when waste is treated as a resource to be exploited. Business have the potential to reduce waste costs to just 1% of turnover by improving the way they use resources.
Great savings can also be made by working with a company that offers an entire package of waste management services, not to mention the ease and convenience of a one-bin solution that leaves the hassle factor of sorting out recyclable materials to them.
Find out how working with Rabbit Group could help you prepare for Christmas – contact us on 01903 762020 or info@rabbitgroup.co.uk
