Traditionally, August may be a quieter month for British business but at Southampton the container terminal operator has extended its opening times and is encouraging customers to pick up cargo seven days a week in a bid to give them more options and better availability with the inland distribution of their cargo.
The August bank holiday also signals the start of the run up to the Christmas delivery ‘peak’, when there is often a surge in the number of containers imported into the UK as retailers and businesses start importing goods to ensure their stores are stocked in time for Christmas.
The bank holiday has an impact on the industry as hauliers try to fit five days of deliveries into a four day working week, while container terminal operators, like DP World Southampton, still need to deliver the high level of service that its customers have come to expect.
The terminal already opens as normal on bank holidays but now the terminal is also going to open from 07.00 on Sunday to give its customers a head start.
“By opening up for the full 7 days for our customers, we believe we are providing more flexibility and opportunity to collect cargo which will assist the supply chain with their import deliveries.
“Traditionally there has not been the demand for weekend opening, but with the August bank holiday and the peak session upon us we will see an increase in volume and by extending our opening hours we can reduce the pressure on everyone in the supply chain,” said Steve McCrindle, Head of Operations, DP World Southampton.