Yes, we know it’s still November – but Christmas Day is just four weeks away, so it’s an important question. However, when we talk about getting your shelves ready for Christmas, we’re not talking about decorating them with tinsel and fairy lights (that could actually be a safety hazard, depending on the circumstances!) – we’re talking about organisation.

The Busiest Shopping Days are Coming

If you’re a retailer, whether your business is online or brick-and-mortar, we’re about to hit the busiest few weeks of the year. In fact, with today being “Black Friday”, your business may already be under pressure. As soon as the calendar says “December”, Christmas shopping hits the top of many “to-do” lists – and as soon as Christmas is over, we’ve got Boxing Day and January sales to look forward to, too.

These hectic days put a lot of pressure on your staff and your warehouse; you need to get your products to your customers quickly, efficiently and safely, even when you’re rushing and you’ve got a queue of hundreds more waiting. This doesn’t just apply to the retailers themselves, but everyone along the distribution line.

What’s On Santa’s List?

Predicting demand can help you to organise your warehouse for optimum efficiency. If you know what’s going to be flying off the shelves fastest, you can make sure that it’s in the most accessible location possible, so that your staff can grab it off the shelf and get it out of the door as quickly as possible. Things that aren’t so high on the average wish list can be moved aside to make room.

No Room at the Inn?

The rise in demand during the festive period may also mean that you need to increase your stock levels – which, of course, means you need more storage space. After all, you can’t sell this year’s must-have gift if you’ve got no room for it in your stock room! If space is at a premium in your warehouse already, you may need to move some unseasonal items out of stock completely; if you have the floor space, this is a good time to invest in some extra shelving!

Well Trained Elves

When demand rises, you’re likely to need more staff – that means you might be bringing in some temporary workers for the festive period. However, it’s vital that you don’t overlook the training you give those temporary staff just because they’re only going to be around for a couple of months. You need to make sure that everybody’s familiar with the warehouse, how products are organised on the shelves and, most importantly, health and safety procedures. An accident is the last thing you want in your warehouse this festive season.

Whatever your needs this festive season, we can help you to be as organised as Santa Claus himself – from Dexion shelving to pallet racking, we’ve got a solution to suit you. For more information, get in touch with us on 0208 998 9247 for a free estimate.