It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But supply chain struggles mean that Christmas might look a little different this year.

For many of us in the UK, we’ve adopted the Black Friday tradition to kick off our Christmas shopping. In 2019, £8.6 billion was spent across Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This figure was down by a tenth last year, but predictions suggest that the figure will increase once more. But will our supply chains be able to cope?

There is no doubt the rollout of coronavirus vaccines has helped the global economy slowly recover from almost a complete standstill 18 months ago. But recent reports suggest that supply chains, particularly in retail, are struggling to keep up with increased demand for goods since things started to get back to ‘normal’.

 Increased demand coupled with workforce shortages, congestion at ports and trucks with no drivers are just some of the hurdles we face currently. One report in the Independent even suggests that things won’t get better until 2023.

Another hurdle UK supply chains are facing is the price rise and continuing shortage of wooden pallets for shipping goods. The well reported backlog of Irish tree felling licenses and general struggle for Baltic log supply has put increasing pressure on UK sawmills – and at a time when they are still competing with the construction industry for timber supplies. This coupled with new post-Brexit rules requiring that all wooden pallets travelling between the UK and EU must be heat treated in accordance with ISPM15 regulations has resulted in severe shortages of the ‘correctly treated’ wooden pallets and an almost 40% price hike in pallet timber.

With Black Friday just a month away and Christmas very much around the corner, Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com, Jim Hardisty, shares his insight into some of the company’s top plastic pallet solutions that can help ease supply chain woes this festive season.

Order picking and exports made easy

Order picking direct to a pallet needs a strong, reliable loading platform and our new CPP 110 PE 9F plastic dispatch pallet offers just that. Weighing just 6kg its low weight means it is easy to handle manually but the offset lattice on the upper deck makes it extremely robust offering a dynamic loading capacity of 1200kgs. Measuring 1200mm (L) x 1000mm (W) x 140mm (H) its low profile height is comparable to that of a traditional wooden pallet but it has none of the inherent safety issues, such as nails and loose component parts that can cause injury to operatives. Plus, being plastic, this pallet is completely exempt from ISPM15 heat treatment regulations, making it an ideal choice for export consignments!

Smooth, seamless automation

When it comes to automated handling scenarios, look no further than our APB 1210 Pool Pallet. Available on three or five runners and with an open or fully closed deck, it is one of the most popular plastic pallets in our range and a firm favourite for automation projects. Why? Our APB 1210 Pool Pallet has been tested in many automated systems with different loads and has been proven to exhibit minimal deflection under load – essential for ensuring automated processes run smoothly and seamlessly! Strong and durable, this plastic pallet is moulded under extreme pressure from highly polished moulds, ensuring consistent dimensional accuracy and has a flat, smooth upper deck ensuring no sharp surfaces or edges that can jam and damage automated systems.

Picture perfect point-of-sale

Our plastic display pallets offer a hassle-free solution for retailers. Products can be transported and then transferred directly to the shop floor in this point-of-sale packaging. Display pallets have a lightweight but sturdy structure that is discreet and aesthetically more appealing on the shop floor than a wooden alternative. Plastic is a lot safer and more hygienic than wood as there are no nails or splinters and, being easy to clean, there is no risk of contamination. Certain models have the capacity to add a cardboard sleeve around the perimeter to create an attractive retail display.

Bulk distribution

Our CabCube 1210 sleeve pack is the perfect pick for bulk distribution. It comprises of three sections, a moulded closed base, a collapsible sleeve, and a lid, which provides protection for goods. It is incredibly light at just 39kg making it easy to handle and can be erected and packed down in a matter of minutes. Once collapsed, the box provides a truck-load volume reduction of up to 80% for cost-effective and efficient return transport.

At Goplasticpallets.com we are currently holding 63,322 items in stock – the widest variety of plastic pallets and pallet boxes available for immediate, next day delivery in the UK.

For expert advice, call our plastic pallet experts on +44 (0)1323 744057 or email sales@goplasticpallets.com.