The pressure is starting to build across the supply chain

From food and consumer goods to construction and manufacturing, the entire supply chain prepares for Q4 long before October. According to the British Packaging Federation, seasonal demand increases packaging volumes across the UK by around 30 percent in the final quarter alone. 

In some sectors, that figure is significantly higher. For large ecommerce retailers, Black Friday week alone can generate volumes that are 70 percent above they yearly average. Logistics providers begin limiting capacity from mid-November. Carriers impose surcharges and booking deadlines. Lead times double. Material stock runs low. And once you are inside the bottleneck, there is little room to manoeuvre.

Your packaging order is not just a purchase. It is a piece of operational infrastructure. Without it, stock cannot be shipped, workflows come to a standstill, and costs begin to increase.

Lead times are longer than you think

Packaging suppliers may give an indicative lead time of one or two weeks in quieter months. But that changes quickly in Q4.

Once demand spikes, those same orders can take four to six weeks or longer, particularly if you require any of the following:

• Custom print or artwork 
• Multi-format box sets 
• Biodegradable or FSC-certified stock
• Oversized or none standard boxes 

They require production slots, tooling checks, and transport planning. For many manufacturers close of for bespoke orders is mid October. And some require commitment even earlier.

When you leave packaging to the last moment, you are no longer buying what you want, you are buying what is left.

Emergency packaging creates cost

Late packaging orders do more than increase stress. They increase the cost of your entire operation.

When you are forced into reactive sourcing, you lose the power of negotiation, prices go up, volumes are inconsistent, and shipping costs increase. And worst of all, time is spent trying to fight challenges instead of focusing on performance.

Packaging related errors contribute to over £2 billion in annual waste across the UK supply chain (according to WRAP) much of which is avoidable. It stems from incorrect sizing, over-ordering, mislabelling, and damage in transit, and many of those issues trace back to rushed, last-minute decisions.

But early packaging planning allows for testing, refinement, training and alignment, these are activities that reduce waste, avoid rework, and free up time when you need it most.

Q4 no time for trial and error

Procurement teams that perform well in Q4 have one thing in common; They plan ahead, and know their packaging and products.

They know which box fits what product, they know how labels align with systems, they know what stock is available, what has been tested, and how long packaging takes to replenish. 

Being this certain doesn’t come by chance, it happens when decisions are made early enough to be tested, communicated and applied across the entire operation.

Packaging has become part of your brand

Customers do not see your internal planning. They see the result of it, and they see what arrives. The condition of the product inside, the quality of the labelling, and the ease of the unpacking. And increasingly, the sustainability of the materials used.

According to Deloittes’s UK Consumer tracker, 57 percent of consumers say they are more likely to remain loyal to a brand that delivers orders in good condition, with appropriate, sustainable packaging. These expectations are not limited to B2C, in B2B markets, procurement teams and buyers are now assessing supplier professionalism through every physical touchpoint.