Jul 15 2021

Challenges Faced by the Packaging Industry During the Pandemic

Out of the countless surprising things to have happened last year, a shortage of materials within the packaging industry was one that stunned a lot of people. It wasn’t only toilet roll, hand sanitiser, and pasta that were disappearing from shelves and warehouses, corrugated cardboard and polymer shortages joined in with becoming incredibly difficult to get your hands on. With boredom taking over, the only way a lot of the population could add a little bit of excitement to their lives, or fill their days up was – and still is – by shopping online. With this increase in demand for products, along came the increase in demand for packaging. The struggle for accessing packaging materials is an ongoing issue along with many companies still dealing with the long-term effects that the pandemic and Brexit has caused them to encounter. With Davpack understanding the struggles of the shortages and having to resolve problems they have inflicted on the company; we can explain and help you steer through these difficulties.

The Coronavirus Pandemic

When the first lockdown was put into place in March 2020, online sale growth spiked to a 57% increase by June, and with the latest lockdown, this heightened even further with sales reaching 71% by March 2021. This is the largest growth that online stores have seen, with the over-ordering came a lot of stress and desperation for more packaging to arrive quickly to allow businesses to be able to ship orders to customers at a decent pace. When reading the recent statistics, and the ever-growing online shopping percentages, the demand for corrugated cardboard and polymer material will continue to persist as consumers expecting delivery straight to their door does not seem to be slowing down. Delays in online deliveries have risen due to these shortages in cardboard and other protective packaging items, with many small businesses blaming larger corporations such as Amazon and eBay for buying such large masses of cardboard. Packaging suppliers and their warehouses have further run into other issues including having to abide by social distancing rules whilst trying to keep up with the constant orders coming through the intercom. Thus creating more stress in the workplace due to needing to keep up with orders whilst keeping everyone safe.

Brexit Paperwork and Legislation

With Brexit recently being confirmed as going ahead, UK legislation has made changes to certain allowances for exporting and importing goods. Some of these alterations mean increased numbers of rules and regulations alongside heightened amounts of paperwork for companies that are working with other organisations that are located within the EU. With all the uncertainty and ambiguousness of Brexit, whether it was going to happen or what legislation would be put into place caused an influx of orders where companies were stockpiling materials in case they came to face challenges in terms of supply chains and stock availability in the future. The number of imports and exports into the United Kingdom has dramatically fallen since Brexit which has caused huge delays in shipments and lead times, causing the packaging material shortage to increase further.

A Greener Consumer Base

Over the past couple of years, companies that use sustainable materials and have an environmentally friendly ethos involved with their branding have become incredibly popular types of businesses for individuals to buy from. Often, brands that incorporate green products, packaging, and types of transit will influence consumers to buy from their company rather than less eco-friendly competing brands – even if they are cheaper. This has caused a surge in demand for recycled products, meaning that not only is regular cardboard and other packaging materials in demand from customers, but so are all the environmentally sound alternatives. A lot of businesses had to replace the sustainable choice with the less eco-friendly option which created further problems in terms of displeased customers and a decrease in several organisations’ environmental ethos.

How Companies Such as Davpack Dealt with Stock Issues

With over 50 years of experience within the packaging industry, Davpack knows how to work through difficult times with product access, increase in demand and knowing how to make customers feel valued. A motto that can be implemented in day-to-day life and the workplace is: honesty is always the best policy. We never over-promise and always stay transparent with our audience. By incorporating these values into our business, we always keep our customers happy and enable them to fulfil all their packaging needs. Sometimes a warning for slow shipment, low stock or replacements of sold-out products may be needed to help customers understand the stock status of the company and stay happy even if how or when they receive their order hasn’t gone as first planned. Communication with both consumers and your own supplier will help your company mitigate and work through any supply chain issues.

The happenings of 2020 and 2021 have caused several issues for maintaining stock levels, ensuring all staff are kept safe, and all customers are satisfied. Even in the most stressful periods of trading, it is important to stay calm and treat your own supplier, your workers and your audience with respect in order to maintain healthy relationships with each party. If you are interested in buying packaging materials from a company you can trust, Davpack will never let you down, just click the following link to shop with us today! https://www.davpack.co.uk/ We have a huge variety of eco-packaging products available to buy online as well!