Antalis is calling on e-retailers to be prepared for the Christmas period with suitable packaging.

Ian Whitcombe, packaging specialist – office trade at Antalis, said there is an increased onus on businesses to plan well in advance to ensure their packaging and logistics operations are able to withstand the spike in demand during seasonal holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day – an area which office dealers can play a vital role in, says Antalis.

“There are lots of different ways dealers can help businesses to easily and effectively improve their packaging offer, especially during busy seasonal periods such as Christmas and Easter.

“In the age of next day delivery, convenience – in particular the importance of saving time – has become critical to consumer demand, which is driving record online retail sales. As such, it’s important for dealers to remind businesses that ordering essential packaging products such as boxes, bubble wrap and other fillers during peak times in November and December will usually add 3-5 days to the lead time – having a knock-on effect on those all-important delivery targets.”

He said e-retailers should ensure their existing packaging capabilities are sufficient enough to cope during the busiest periods of the year.

“One of the key questions to ask in terms of packaging supply is simply; is your existing supplier capable of meeting your demands for an increase in packaging supply? Can they turn things around at short notice? Is their service reliable? What is their availability of packaging products? Can they cope with large fluctuations in supply and demand? And if they can’t what will be the impact on your business?”