Packaging Advice

Packaging peak season survival guide: Tips for success during Christmas

4 mins

The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most stressful for businesses that rely on packaging for their daily operations. As Christmas approaches, the demand for beautifully wrapped gifts and well-packaged products soars, and companies must be prepared to handle the peak season efficiently and effectively.

In this Packaging Peak Season Survival Guide, we'll share valuable tips to help you navigate the Christmas rush and ensure your packaging operations run smoothly through to the new year.

1. Plan your packaging ahead of peak season

The biggest tip we can give you – the key to success during the Christmas peak season is careful planning.

Start early by analysing your past holiday season performance and identifying areas that need improvement. Determine your production and shipping schedules well in advance to prevent last-minute rushes. Make sure you have enough materials, such as boxes, adhesive tape, film, and pallets, to meet the increased demand.

Speak with your packaging supplier early on to secure the necessary supplies and ensure they can accommodate your increased requirements during the peak season. This proactive approach will help you avoid any potential bottlenecks in your production and shipping processes.

2. Review your packaging process

Like many other businesses, you’re likely expecting the volume of orders to increase during the festive period. If that’s the case, it’s vital that your packaging is streamlined to ensure maximum output with minimal waste.

From reviewing pack benches, to ensuring material locations are organised in the most efficient manner, just a few small changes could make a huge improvement to the efficiency of your operation.

For example, be sure to store the most used packaging materials closest to your packing area. This will eliminate any wasted time spent by employees looking for materials or having to walk across the warehouse for a roll of tape. Remember, time is money. So, if your packaging process is too long, lead times may suffer, and this creates huge risk during the busiest time of the year.

Alternatively (if you're a Swiftpak customer) speak to your dedicated account manager for advice on how your packaging process could be improved in time for the peak season. 

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3. Embrace sustainable packaging solutions

Christmas may be the season of joy and giving, but it's also a time where a staggering amount of waste is generated.

To put things into perspective, around 50,000 additional trees are cut down each year to make enough paper to wrap presents – and that’s just for wrapping presents.

The festive season is also responsible for approximately 300,000 tonnes of cardboard packaging and 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging.

This has caused an increase in consumer consciousness about the environmental impact of their holiday celebrations. Many people now consider the sustainability of the products they purchase, including the packaging they come in.

As a business gearing up for the Christmas peak season, embracing sustainable packaging solutions is not just a responsible choice, it's also a smart business move.

4. Consider packaging automation

Spending hours taping and assembling boxes, or strapping and wrapping pallets is not an efficient use of time, especially during peak season. When order volumes are on the rise, it’s more important than ever to prepare your processes with efficient use of packaging machinery.

With the introduction of automation, the opportunity to reduce package handling will help cut down on labour costs and allow you to focus more on customer satisfaction.

This can be achieved through the use of automated taping, stretch wrap, void fill and strapping machines, which we explore further in the video below.

Gear up for the peak season with packaging from Swiftpak

The bustling holiday season provides a golden opportunity to transform one-time shoppers into loyal, repeat customers. It's a moment to reassess your packaging strategy and make a lasting impression.

Here at Swiftpak, we have been a trusted partner for businesses across various sectors for over 45 years. With over 2,500 products always in stock, easy online ordering and next day delivery, we can support your business through its busiest period and beyond. If you're eager to discover how our extensive range of packaging options can elevate your operations during the peak season, don't hesitate to reach out to our team of experts today.