Packaging suppliers are coming up with new ideas to make movers' lives easier all the time. Here are a few of the latest.
New from Simpson Packaging
Simpson Packaging has recently introduced a number of new, labour-saving packaging items including new flat screen TV covers; and a snazzy new bike bag with lifting straps made from seat belt webbing, a patented bungee Velcro fastening system, and a six-month warranty. There are no waste disposal costs either. Simpsons says that these covers pay for themselves within 14 uses compared with standard cardboard packaging.
There’s also a new range of Self Pak secure padlocks, both keyed and with combinations, for the self storage market offering a simple extra revenue source. They are available with the Self Pak brand or carrying your company logo. There’s also a new display stand holding over £1,000 worth of saleable materials yet occupying on half a square metre of floor space.
Simpsons has recently launched a new service in which materials can be delivered direct to customers’ homes. This is a useful added value service for customers that provides the mover with an additional revenue stream with little additional work or set up costs. It helps movers reduce the need to hold stocks on their own premises and saves the need to make small deliveries with their own vehicles.
New RB Flute from BARS
A new type of carton from BAR Services is made from corrugated board that is 25% slimmer than previous types, is less expensive and boxes can be transported and stored more easily and cheaper.
Since its introduction at the beginning of 2012 the new RB flute has proved to be very popular with BAR Services selling around 900,000 boxes. It is smaller, flatter and closer together than its BC predecessor. The cost is lower and it also has the advantage that each pallet can carry more boxes, more can be stored on existing racking, and the boxes take up less space in the van.
In terms of performance, the RB flute has consistently out-performed the BC in crushability and stackability tests. Ali Cowie from BAR Services commented: “Thinner definitely means stronger but with the added benefits of a reduced costs and savings in transport and storage. E-mail: sales@barservices.co.uk.
PHS Teacrate next-day delivery
The e-commerce market for removal packaging has come of age, however, this has led to greater fragmentation as more and more players have entered the market. The traditional model of the suppliers choosing the delivery date has been replaced, for the most part, by the PHS Teacrate ‘Just in time’ next day delivery model. Fast and responsive service is key, and the bricks and clicks model used by PHS Teacrate uses the depot network that it has for its crate hire operations.
Whilst the larger removers may order in pallet quantities, we are seeing the smaller operators ordering on a job by job basis with no minimum order quantities, thus enabling even the smallest players to have access to professional quality packaging materials. A worrying trend, however, is the growth of second hand box sellers and various sites offering inferior single walled boxes.
Several removals companies now provide online packaging shops on their websites whereby their clients can browse and order the packaging materials they require for their move. Movers with no existing packaging offering on their websites can set up a shop by working with PHS Teacrate to integrate a fully enabled packaging e-shop into their site. Teacrate’s packaging e-shop is embedded seamlessly into a mover’s website and can be branded in line with their business. The packaging e-shop is managed end-to-end by Teacrate, so there is no mover involvement in product storage, delivery or customer communications.
This value added service from PHS Teacrate provides movers with the means to set up an online packaging shop quickly and with no upfront investment. And movers can earn on packaging sales in the process.