Rent-A-Christmas with Help from phs Teacrate

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Preparations for Christmas seem to get earlier each year, with customer after customer exclaiming their disbelief when seasonal displays appear in supermarkets, department stores and garden centres. However, if you’re involved in preparing a business for Christmas trade, you’ll know that there’s no such thing as ‘too soon’ when it comes to getting organised.

At Christmas, we all like to spoil ourselves with the best. We’re willing to pay a bit more for ‘Luxury’, ‘Limited Edition’, ‘Irresistible’ or ‘Specially Selected’, as long as we think we’re getting a real treat.  So, it’s Important to get your products on the shelves or into the restaurant in prime condition and on time. Rigid Returnable Transit Packaging (RTP) protects its contents while also being easy to handle and safe to stack – properties that are lacking with cardboard alternatives.

No matter how prepared you are, there are often last-minute hitches or unforeseeable complications that can mean that all of your plans go awry. In the food manufacturing and retail industries, for example, suppliers can be unreliable, staff can be unpredictable and machinery can sometimes have a mind of its own. So, when you’re trying to ensure that your products have the right transit packaging – like crates, trays and pallets – even the best plans can be upset. Crate rental from phs Teacrate could be the answer.

This year, demand is even more difficult to predict, thanks to the uncertainty of the UK’s imminent departure from the single European market, due to happen just a short while before Christmas. Even with Brexit looming in 2019, most supermarkets managed to do better than expected which really tested their supply chains.

phs Teacrate has happily come to the aid of many businesses who have found themselves in need of additional RTP or crate washing services when the Christmas market has responded unexpectedly or their usual processes have been interrupted. Here’s how we can help:

Has your supplier let you down?

phs Teacrate works hard to ensure a close working relationship with every customer. A dedicated account manager will ensure that all of your RTP requirements are met with clean crates, trays and pallets delivered to the right place at the right time, with as little as 24 hours’ notice.

Our experienced customer support team is on hand to provide expert advice and deal with any queries, while our strategically-located depots and fleet of transport vehicles cover the whole of the UK, resulting in a seamless supply, wherever your business is located.  

When it comes to finding the right containers for your food business, phs Teacrate can provide a wide range of RTP, including Nestable Bale Arm Trays (NBATs), Attached Lid Containers (ALCs), Pallets and Pallet Boxes. We also offer accessories, such as Roll Cages and Skates to assist in moving the containers around your own premises. We’re constantly investing in the design of new RTP and will be happy to assist you in the production of your own bespoke crates, trays or pallets.

Is your seasonal demand too great? 

Reacting to seasonal trends can be difficult, especially at Christmas. You need to be able to move your stock quickly in order to keep your customers happy. This means having the required amount of RTP, as and when you need it. 

phs Teacrate’s dynamic pool of crates, trays and pallets mean that we will always have the necessary containers on stand-by to cope with your seasonal demand. This will get your business through seasonal peaks without cluttering up your premises with unused trays and pallets in quieter times.

Because phs Teacrate is ready when you are with clean and appropriate containers, next working day delivery is standard with same day and emergency deliveries often possible too.

Have your machines failed? 

Just like any other machines, crate washers can break down without warning, and usually during one of your busiest periods. At times like these, phs Teacrate’s stand-alone washing service can be invaluable.

We’ll collect your own food crates, trays or pallets and take them to one of our washing facilities where they will be cleaned, dried, stacked and shrink-wrapped, before being returned to your specified location.

In our washing processes, phs Teacrate only uses food-safe chemicals that will not contaminate foodstuffs and are safe for the environment. Where required, we’ll carry out random bacterial swab testing, the results of which are recorded and supplied to you as part of your proof of legal compliance to hygiene standards.

Are you having staffing issues?

If your employees are suffering from Christmas bugs or you’ve been let down by temporary staffing agencies, phs Teacrate can ease the burden a little. Our washing service can step in whenever you need it, at short notice, allowing you to allocate your staff to other, more critical duties.

We can also deliver and collect crates, trays and pallets at any destination, which means your staff don’t have to transport them between sites. And swab testing for hygiene is something that the team at phs Teacrate routinely carry out, which is one less thing for your staff to have to address.

At any time of year, balancing the demands of your business with the demands of your customers can be difficult. With no large capital expenditure involved in renting a pool of plastic crates, trays or pallets, supply from the largest crate rental business in the UK could be the answer to your seasonal RTP issues.

Whether you want to include phs Teacrate as part of your logistics plan or keep us as a back-up supplier, talk to us to discover how we can help at Christmas, or any other time of the year.