International

Sweet treats!

Chocolate is arguably the UK’s favourite treat. We are ranked 4th in the world league tables of per capita consumption, and the average Brit consumes approximately 9.5kg of chocolate per year (although my waistband tells me I consume a lot more than that)!  Britain’s first chocolate factory opened in 1657 – making it 50 years older than the UK’s first tea shop!

The UK chocolate Easter egg market is worth over £220 million – so as you may expect, ‘egg-xtra’ special care is required to deal with the extra demand around Easter. How do logistics professionals stop themselves from ‘cracking’ under the pressure? 

Flower Power!

Flowers are a major part of many events all year round, including birthdays, weddings and funerals, but findings show that sales spike in the UK at this time of year thanks to Valentine’s Day in February and Mothers’ day in March. As with all perishables, a great deal of care must be taken in the transportation of the flowers from the field to a loved one's hands – so how do logistics professionals deal with the increased demand for this fragile package this time of year? 

Christmas is coming…

Christmas is fast approaching, and the general population are getting ready to sit back with a mince pie in hand, to order their festive shopping online, but do we ever stop to think about the logistics involved in ensuring that our parcel arrives on time for Christmas?

Logistics companies start planning months in advance of the big day; this involves hiring additional warehouse staff, longer working hours, early promotions, superfluous warehouse space and extra delivery vehicles driving more routes.

In an age of online shopping it’s very easy to forget the processes involved in getting products delivered to your door or local shop - one click of a button and the next day you can be enjoying your new purchase… But what steps do our goods go through to get to us? There are 4 main stages to the supply chain model; from the initial manufactured products, through to the transportation of goods ready for distribution, and finally, to the retailer ready for sale to the consumer. 

The evolution of E-Commerce

With regular storms sweeping the USA, logistics companies across the states will need to consider contingency plans and take precautions to ensure that their operations do not come to a standstill. Although bad weather will always create difficulties, by taking certain measures, it is possible to minimise the level of disruption to logistics processes and ensure that shipments are received as quickly as possible despite the unforgiving conditions.

Garden Voyeurism

Last weekend whilst enjoying some relaxed autumn gardening I was startled by a strange buzzing sound from on high. I looked up expecting an obnoxious insect but instead spotted a drone hovering above my back garden. This was the first time I had been visited by a drone and I wasn’t sure what to make of it, so I waved. The drone, seemingly appeased by this, scooted away, but it got me thinking… Realistically, what useful purposes do drones actually serve?

Santa’s logistics are famous around the world: there are the elves making toys in the grotto all year, the bright red sleigh that takes him around the world at unbelievable speed on Christmas Eve and of course those magical reindeer that make it all possible, led by the brave beacon that is Rudolph.