Warehouses must prepare now for Black Friday postal strikes

Planned postal strikes, which will coincide with the vital Black Friday shopping weekend, could spell chaos for retailers, the logistics sector and Christmas shoppers. However, improved warehouse management along the supply chain would help to alleviate the impact of the strikes, says Phil Chesworth, Managing Director at Midland Pallet Trucks.

Workers plan to walk out on the 24 and 25th of November – Black Friday -and again on the 30th of November and 1st of December – which falls two days after Cyber Monday. For retailers and the logistics sector alike, this will be a colossal disruption during one of the year’s busiest periods.

Phil says, “The disruption caused by the strikes will delay the delivery of customer orders and key components for manufacturers. In turn, this will cause severe disruptions across retail and the logistics sector in general. To mitigate these effects, warehouse managers along the supply chain – from distribution centres to delivery depots – must ensure their operations are running seamlessly.”.

Midland Pallet Trucks provide warehouses with a range of high-quality material handling equipment. Their most popular items – electric pallet trucks, weighing scale trucks, and high lift pallet trucks – are designed to maximise efficiency when handling consignments.

Phil adds, “The inevitable delays within the Royal Mail will mean that distribution centres must ensure that there are limited delays regarding their role in the supply chain. Private delivery companies, too, will find themselves busier than ever. They should prepare themselves for the disruptions by optimising their warehouse operations. To achieve this, warehouses should use high-quality materials handling equipment designed to improve efficiency and productivity”.

“Our pallet trucks are a cost-effective way to improve warehouse processes by allowing employees to work more productively, with reduced risk of injury. This will be crucial during the strikes, as any employee downtime will only add to delays”.

Improving logistics along the supply chain will mean the infrastructures supporting the busy times ahead will be better prepared to cope with the disruptions caused by the strikes, thus minimising the impact on the end customer.

For more information, visit https://www.midlandpallettrucks.com