The busiest time of year is fast approaching, with businesses facing extra demand during Christmas. The festive period is also a busy time for logistics companies, with an increased demand to help keep business operations running smoothly. Opting for Christmas warehouse storage can help you meet increased demand. With our purpose-designed commercial storage and distribution, your Birmingham business can achieve timely Christmas delivery without any setbacks.
Learn more about the benefits of warehouse storage for your business
Warehouse storage and distribution benefits
The benefits your Birmingham business can gain from warehouse storage and distribution cannot be understated. Supply chains can face several problems over the festive period, making it difficult for your business to fulfil demand.
Problems with the supply chain that businesses can experience over the seasonal period include:
- Increased demand
- Higher order numbers
- Increased usage of faster delivery options (such as next day)
- Greater potential for errors (such as order processing mistakes)
- Increase in reverse logistics (returning items)
Your business can struggle to maintain smooth and efficient processes with the spike in volume, order demands, and deadlines. In some cases, businesses may seek to invest in short-term storage solutions or overflow storage to hold extra stock to fulfil demand.
However, without suitable procedures and operational processes, such storage solutions are ineffective and will only worsen the situation. Such options are also more costly and are unsuitable in the long term.
Warehouse storage and distribution is a much more suitable option to help your business maintain smooth and efficient processes during Christmas. It can also help you to benefit from efficient supply chain operations, fulfil the increased demand, build positive customer relations, and ensure your business doesn’t suffer unnecessary operational setbacks.
Why use Christmas warehouse storage and distribution
Improved stock control
Effective and efficient stock control is crucial for ensuring orders can be fulfilled promptly. Inaccuracies can occur without the proper precautions for effectively managing stock, leading to incorrect stock levels.
With inaccurate stock levels, missed delivery slots or empty stock units in retail spaces can occur. With increasing competition, customers will seek competitors to fulfil their demands. With improved stock control from warehouse storage, you can avoid such occurrences.
Optimised inventory management
The backbone of any efficient warehouse storage operation, inventory management system software can help monitor and track a warehouse’s inventory. It can also monitor stock levels, orders, and sales.
Such systems allow for better space optimisation and efficient operations. With a reliable inventory management system, businesses can benefit from cost-effective and efficient fulfilment.
Timely and reliable deliveries
During the busy festive period, customers are less likely to wait long periods for deliveries or items to restock in stores. Without reliable deliveries, your business will suffer as it fails to meet customer demands and expectations.
With the surge of next-day and same-day deliveries, ensuring there are no setbacks to your Christmas deliveries is crucial. The extra demand over Christmas can mean deliveries may take longer through normal distribution channels.
Opting for Birmingham warehouse storage and distribution ensures your business has an established and reliable distribution network. With reliable stock deliveries, you can meet the deadlines and demands your customers expect.
Choosing a 3PL provider for Christmas warehouse storage
With the increased demand over Christmas, businesses can struggle to fulfil demands and expectations if the required planning is not in place.
The surge in demand during the Christmas period helps increase revenue and earnings, but it can also add significant strain. Shops can become much busier, and restocking inventory can be a challenge. Prolonged shipping times and delivery delays only escalate the problem.
A 3PL, or third-party logistics provider, can help your business to meet the extra demand of the festive season. 3PL providers are logistics services that allow your business to outsource some areas of the supply chain.
3PL will primarily focus on managing procurement and fulfilment, offering pallet distribution or warehouse storage services. Some 3PL firms will specialise in one facet of logistics, while others may provide a comprehensive service.
Two of the most significant advantages to choosing a 3PL for handling parts of the supply chain over the busy Christmas period are the cost-saving benefits and maintaining efficient supply chain operations to fulfil increased demand.
Cost-Saving Benefits
A 3PL that offers warehouse storage and distribution will already have a warehouse facility and established distribution network.
They will already have processes in place and will have prepared for the extra demand during Christmas. As a result, choosing an established 3PL provider with a good reputation can help your Birmingham business save money while meeting demand.
Sometimes, a logistics provider may also offer discounts depending on volume. With an established presence in the industry, your business can avoid unnecessary costs through rent and vehicle expenses, as these provisions are all-inclusive with a 3PL service.
Efficient Operations
You can also benefit from maintaining efficient operations throughout the Christmas period by using a 3PL provider. Many businesses either do not have the resources or have insufficient resources to support efficient operations over Christmas.
Logistics companies prepare months in advance to ensure they are well-equipped to meet the increased demand. This includes warehouse operations, staffing, and optimising the distribution network.
The expertise and efficiency offered to businesses by 3PL providers during the busy seasonal period can be a great asset to Birmingham businesses struggling to meet the increased demand. 3PL providers are experienced in dealing with the seasonal supply chain demands.
With the increased demand over the festive period, fulfilling customer demands can be difficult. However, opting for reliable and efficient warehouse storage and distribution will ensure you meet the seasonal demands without operational setbacks.
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