Expert insight on packaging supply planning, cost control, fulfilment efficiency and sustainability during peak trading periods.
Peak season rewards preparation and punishes delay.
As demand increases, businesses face growing pressure on packaging supply, fulfilment efficiency, shipping costs and inventory planning. Decisions made months before peak often determine whether operations run smoothly or become increasingly reactive.
Yet packaging is often left until the final stages of planning.
The reality is that packaging influences far more than product protection. It affects packing speeds, storage requirements, shipping costs, sustainability performance and, ultimately, the customer experience. During peak trading periods, even small inefficiencies can quickly become significant operational and financial challenges.
To understand how businesses can avoid those pitfalls, we spoke with Duo Commercial Director Anthony Brimelow about the packaging decisions that have the greatest impact during peak season and why early planning remains one of the most effective ways to reduce risk.
Start Planning Earlier Than You Think
Businesses should ideally begin packaging supply planning six to nine months before peak season.
As demand increases across retail and eCommerce supply chains, lead times often extend much earlier than expected. Planning ahead allows businesses to secure supply, align packaging requirements with demand forecasts and avoid being forced into reactive decisions when options become limited.
Early planning also creates time to review existing packaging formats, test alternative solutions and assess whether current packaging is truly fit for purpose before order volumes increase.
Those that delay frequently find themselves making compromises on cost, availability or packaging performance, creating challenges that ripple throughout fulfilment operations.
Early Planning Creates Cost Control
One of the biggest advantages of early packaging planning is improved control over costs.
By securing packaging requirements in advance, procurement teams are often in a stronger position to negotiate pricing, manage budgets and reduce exposure to seasonal market fluctuations. It can also help avoid the additional costs associated with expedited production schedules and urgent deliveries.
However, some of the most significant savings come from operational efficiencies rather than packaging unit costs alone.
During peak periods, even marginal improvements can generate meaningful savings. Small reductions in material consumption, pack dimensions or packing time can quickly scale across thousands of orders. This is why leading retailers increasingly view packaging as an operational efficiency lever rather than simply a fulfilment requirement.
The Hidden Cost of Waiting Too Long
Leaving packaging decisions until the last minute introduces more risk than many businesses realise.
During peak trading periods, supplier capacity becomes constrained and access to preferred packaging formats can become limited. Organisations may find themselves relying on substitute materials or pack formats that are less efficient, more expensive or less aligned with sustainability objectives.
Operational performance can also suffer.
Changes in pack size, usability or weight may appear insignificant, but they can affect packing speeds, labour efficiency and shipping costs. Across high-volume operations, those small inefficiencies quickly compound, creating avoidable pressure on fulfilment teams at the busiest time of the year.
Forecasting Should Be Flexible, Not Just Accurate
Effective packaging supply planning starts with robust forecasting.
The most successful organisations combine historical sales data with insight from commercial, marketing and operational teams to create a more complete picture of future demand. Promotions, product launches and planned growth all need to be considered alongside previous peak trading performance.
However, forecasting should not focus solely on accuracy.
Demand patterns can change rapidly, particularly during peak periods. Building flexibility into packaging plans is equally important. This may involve maintaining buffer stock, working with suppliers who can scale production when needed or selecting packaging solutions that can support multiple product lines.
At Duo, we regularly work with customers to review packaging ahead of peak season, helping them identify opportunities to improve efficiency and ensure packaging formats remain aligned with operational requirements.
Sustainability Can No Longer Be Treated Separately
Sustainability should not be viewed as a separate conversation from cost and performance.
Increasingly, the three are interconnected.
Material choice, packaging weight and recyclability all influence environmental impact, but they are also becoming more closely linked to compliance obligations and financial performance through evolving regulations such as pEPR.
Businesses that plan early have greater flexibility to evaluate sustainable alternatives, review packaging specifications and select solutions that support both environmental and commercial objectives. Those that leave decisions until the last minute often find themselves prioritising availability over optimisation.
Peak season also represents a valuable brand touchpoint. Packaging choices made during this period can help demonstrate environmental commitments to customers at a time when engagement levels are often at their highest.
Why Flexible Packaging Supports Peak Season Performance
Flexible packaging continues to play an important role in helping businesses manage peak demand.
For eCommerce operations in particular, lightweight mailing bags offer advantages that become increasingly valuable as order volumes rise. Their space-efficient design helps reduce storage requirements, improve packing speeds and optimise transportation performance.
Solutions such as DuoOptipac Mailing Bags have been developed specifically to address these challenges. By reducing excess material and minimising empty space, they help improve shipping efficiency while supporting lower transportation costs.
As fulfilment volumes increase, these incremental efficiencies can create significant operational and financial benefits.
At the same time, businesses must ensure packaging choices support evolving recyclability expectations and future regulatory requirements. Starting the planning process early allows organisations to balance operational efficiency with longer-term sustainability goals.
Peak Performance Starts With Early Planning
The common thread running through Anthony’s advice is simple: successful peak seasons are rarely built during peak season.
Businesses that invest time in packaging supply planning gain greater control over costs, availability, operational efficiency and sustainability performance. They create space to test, optimise and make informed decisions rather than reacting to constraints when demand is at its highest.
As customer expectations continue to rise and regulatory requirements evolve, packaging is becoming an increasingly important component of peak season strategy.
The businesses that perform best are often those that start planning first.
Preparing for Peak Season?
Whether you’re looking to secure supply, optimise packaging formats or reduce shipping costs, our team can help identify opportunities ahead of demand spikes.
Speak to Duo about building a packaging strategy that supports efficiency, resilience and long-term performance.
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