Charlotte Hardy, Digital Marketing & Communications Manager Macfarlane Packaging: The last couple of years have been uncharted territory. Businesses and consumers have had to adapt, professionally and personally very quickly. The global pandemic prompted a significant shift in online shopping behaviour, with 88% people reporting they now spend more time shopping online.
On top of this, consumers are more demanding than ever before. They want everything to be delivered to their doorstep – by tomorrow please! The IMRG highlights that almost 40% of people use home delivery more than they did pre-pandemic. They also reveal that shoppers are now aware of (and expect) a friction-free online shopping and delivery experience. In fact, 66% of consumers report that a good delivery experience has encouraged them to order again from a specific retailer.
What does this mean for the supply chains behind retail operations? In a competitive marketplace, retailers and their logistics providers are now under pressure to deliver faster than ever. “The Prime Effect” means that over half of UK consumers rank speed of delivery as one of their top 5 criteria for purchasing decisions.
Operational productivity is effectively tied into the end customer experience. The faster logistics firms can pick, pack and dispatch their product, the happier that consumers will be further down the line. Using the right packaging materials and packing processes can be a key factor in successful logistics operations and customer experience. Often, if operations find packaging easy to use, the chances are the end customer will find it easy to open too. So, what can logistics businesses do to make sure their packaging is fit for purpose?
Reviewing how quickly they can assemble and pack product is a good place to start. This can highlight pinch-points or processes that need to change. For example, does it take packers minutes rather than seconds to tape and seal a cardboard box? In this instance, substituting the current process with automated sealing, could help shave seconds off pack times. Alternatively, swapping to boxes that have self-adhesive closures and easy open tear strips could help increase throughput and enhance the customer experience.
On top of the packing process itself, logistics operations should take a look at how they’re organised. If packers have to spend extra time searching for product or packing materials, it could mean slower dispatch. This in turn has a knock-on effect on delivery times and customer experience. Making use of warehouse water spiders (a colleague who’s dedicated to replenishing packing benches or other essentials) or implementing modular pick bins close to packing zones can help increase dispatch volumes removing distractions in the packing process.
Macfarlane Packaging work with logistics companies across the UK to help them enhance their productivity through creative packaging solutions and expert packing advice. For more information, visit macfarlanepackaging.com.
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