We, as members of the UK general public, have long been dreaming of the day when the announcement would come, detailing the lifting of lockdown restrictions and finally being able to get the garden furniture and BBQ out and interact with our friends and family in a non-virtual setting.
Following the Prime Minister’s press conference at the beginning of March, we were all relieved to hear that there finally appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Boris Johnson notified us that the chance to meet up, once again, with our nearest and dearest was set to become a reality, as the UK follows the COVID-19 roadmap out of lockdown.
As people began planning their summer soirées and garden parties, online retailers were hit with an influx of orders for garden furniture, fire pits and outdoor accessories, ready for the 29th of March when groups of six, or two households, can meet up once again, as laid out in the government’s COVID-19 roadmap.
As retailers struggled with increased demands and consumers battled with diminishing stock levels, it highlighted the importance of having a reliable delivery tracking system, keeping both your business and your customers up to date with where the goods are at every step of the journey.
Delivery Tracking System for Garden Furniture
We previously addressed how online retailers can improve customer service using shipping and fulfilment in 2021 and with customers desperate to plan their summer seating arrangements, having the ability to see exactly where your stock is located can help you advise when you expect the goods to be back in your online store and available for them to purchase.
We’ve long supported the furniture industry with their software requirements for tracking and monitoring deliveries, collections and installations.
We pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive solution that helps to make their lives easier when it comes to logistics and management of their fleet.
Logistic management systems, such as Stream, make it incredibly easy to create runs, assign vehicles/drivers and monitor the product journey from start to finish, providing both retailers and customers with real-time tracking information and live updates about the status of the order.
In a time where garden furniture is in such high demand and low supply, it’s essential for your business that you know exactly when you can expect your products back in your online store.
This will allow you to keep your customers up to date and informed as to when they can expect their garden furniture to be delivered to their door.
Inflated Shipping Costs for Garden Furniture
As well as the high demand for garden furniture from the general public, inflated shipping costs to import goods from countries, such as China, has also played an instrumental role in creating a seating shortage in the back gardens of UK residents.
Gina Hinde, from the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association, which represents 70 manufacturers and wholesalers, said that “last year members were being charged about $1,200 to get a container over from China and Indonesia.
This year, they’re being charged anywhere between $7,000 and $10,000.”
‘You can’t just increase your price due to the fact that you’re paying more to ship the product – that doesn’t improve the quality of the item itself.’
Rob Mead, Consultant – White Stores
As the lockdown restrictions are eased over the coming months, we can hope that garden furniture retailers will be able to increase their stock levels and provide the UK residents with their rattan sofas, allowing them to comfortably host their friends and family as we make our way to what we now know as the ‘old normal’.
If your business has experienced difficulties in tracking the collection and delivery of goods, then we’d love to have a conversation to see if we might be able to help you.
Talk to our team today to start planning the solution that can support your business into the future.
