2020 saw an explosion in online orders as demand for e-commerce grew exponentially. With it, came a rise in packaging use for outgoing orders and also returns. The need for efficient and sustainable packaging has never been greater. So can retailers keep up with the demand, while streamlining their packaging use?
Michelle Mooney investigates the latest packaging technology trends.
Thousands of online retailers have had to completely transform their operations since the huge demand in orders exploded. Transformations happened throughout the entire supply chain, including warehousing operations, logistics, and of course, packaging and packaging technology. David Ashwell, managing Director of AO Logistics agrees, and says that the demand has led to an array of transformations. He says: As well as growing our network to 24 depots across the country, we’ve increased our warehousing space to over 1.3 million sq ft. With so many customers turning to online to shop for their appliances during lockdown, we made swift decisions to invest in new infrastructure and technology while maintaining high service levels for customers.”