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FEATURE LOGISTICS


PACKAGING A VITAL LINK in online retail supply chain


As online retailing continues its upward trend, Andrew Smedley of Ambassador Antalis looks at the importance of transit-style packaging for this growing business opportunity


T


he retail sector is currently undergoing significant change fuelled


by widespread availability of the internet and the proliferation of mobile devices that give instant access to anything, anytime, anywhere. This is naturally changing the way consumers purchase their goods with a shift from the high street to online purchasing. Predictions surrounding the growth of


online sales vary considerably and it’s hard to give an accurate picture of the future but all indicate a strong upward trend. Some forecasters are predicting that by 2022 over 60,000 shops will have closed their doors permanently or through adapting to online channels. This is mirrored by the latest internet


retail figures published by the IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index which reported £91 billion was spent online in the UK last year with internet sales forecast to reach £107 billion by the end of 2014. As the market grows so too will competition among online retailers who are keen to differentiate their customers’ experience to ensure they not only attract new purchasers but maintain customer loyalty. The quality and price of a product will


always play a key role in any purchasing decision but in terms of the overall experience the packaging, logistics and delivery of a product becomes as important to the consumer as the product itself. Branded packaging will always remain


important but transit-style packaging is now becoming much more of a priority in the overall success of an operation rather than just an unnecessary afterthought. Consumers want their purchases to


arrive on time and in perfect order so the way a product is packaged is a vital link in the online retail chain.


GREATER STANDARDISATION Retailers are therefore now demanding greater standardisation and continuity by site and country while at the same time, looking for creativity to provide an ‘identity’ without exposing the contents of the package in addition to requiring more intelligent protective packaging to satisfy the aspirations of their own customers. There are thousands of innovative packaging products on the market and literally hundreds of ways in which a product can be packaged to provide optimum protection in the most


efficient and cost effective way. Despite this there are many companies that use outdated products and services and therefore missing an opportunity to find that perfect solution. The most sensible approach is to work


with an experienced packaging supplier who not only offers a range of packaging ‘off the shelf’ and bespoke products but can provide a more consultative approach to work alongside your business and your delivery partner to provide a fully optimised plan across your packaging, palletisation, storage and distribution requirements. More often than not a small change can have a large effect on cost and efficiency without compromising product protection. The future for online retailing looks


bright and providing businesses take as much care over the selection of their packaging as they do the selection and pricing of their products, consumers will increase their interest in internet purchasing and remain loyal consumers.


Ambassador Antalis T: 0870 609 9888


www.ambassador-antalis.co.uk Enter 307


MOBILE ENGAGEMENT BEST PRACTICE GUIDE FOR 3PLS


OpenMarket has released a mobile engagement best practice guide for third party logistics providers (3PLs). It reveals that while many logistics suppliers have implemented a mobile strategy, many are yet to make the most of what the technology offers across the entire organisation. The guide exposes missed opportunities within business silos to harness mobile messaging and increase efficiencies, deliver a differentiated experience and generate value company-wide; topics include:  Benefits of mobile engagement: 3PLs are now looking beyond software to provide solutions for greater visibility into the supply chain, better analytics, more precise data and increased flexibility.  How to meet your business objectives: SMS is a proven communications channel for creating efficient two-way, end-user communication and brand reinforcement.  Challenge with siloed solutions: companies with a distinct siloed structure often fail to act on fast-moving opportunities or respond swiftly to change or crises. Mobile messaging provides a simple form of communication to internal or external audiences.  Optimising the consumer experience: using mobile technology to engage along various points in the consumer journey can dramatically improve satisfaction levels, drive down operational costs for the 3PL and enable actionable insight into end-user habits.  Engage with your workforce: SMS enables organisations to listen to staff


S12 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS


and provides them with the power to respond to issues immediately. This can vastly improve productivity and staff retention, facilitate positive change and lower costs.  Deliver a seamless service: SMS provides a simple and direct solution to navigating communication between owners of each technology system in the company. Since SMS bypasses operational systems it will remain an intact and working mechanism even when other systems are down.  Measuring success: 3PLs should analyse campaign and key business performance indicators (KPIs) such as a decrease in operational costs, high program response rates or improved employee productivity to make the most of their mobile strategy. OpenMarket‘s flagship Mobile Engagement Platform is a SaaS-based


solution, allowing logistics companies to easily create and deploy smart, interactive mobile engagement services globally with connectivity to over 200 countries. The platform leverages mobile messaging capabilities including two-way global SMS, MMS and push notifications to streamline supply chain operations and improve consumer satisfaction. Download a copy of Third Party Logistics: A Best Practice Guide to Mobile Engagement from the website.


OpenMarket www2.openmarket.com/logistics-guide


/ MATERIALSHANDLINGLOGISTICS


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