Firms are increasingly realising the benefits of making use of fulfilment services as a way of meeting their obligations to consumers. Indeed, in December demand for fulfilment provisions, including the storage of goods and their delivery to consumers, may have been particularly strong.
According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the first two weeks of the month saw a rise in sales volumes. This was the first increase in seven months, the organisation noted.
In its Distributive Trades Survey, it noted that 41 per cent of firms it polled noted that sales had risen compared with a year before, while 32 per cent reported a fall. This resulted in a positive balance of nine per cent.
However, there was a mixed picture across different sectors, suggesting that any increase in demand for fulfilment services may have been limited to certain types of enterprise.
For example, grocers saw their sales volumes rise during this period, as did companies selling recreational goods such as sports equipment, toys and games. However, firms specialising in the sale of big ticket durable household goods like washing machines and fridges registered falling sales.
Responding to the findings, the CBI’s Judith McKenna said: “Early discounting helped retailers add a little extra sparkle to their sales in December, although the reprieve appears to only be temporary.”
Trading conditions remain tough in the UK and many other countries at present. Therefore, it is particularly important for organisations to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible. As part of this, it is vital that they find the most competitive providers of fulfilment assistance around. By achieving this, they can save themselves money.
Thankfully, these days it is easy to find superb providers of such services that are not only great value, but also offer top-quality assistance that can be relied upon.