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Leverage the maximum for the Consumer industry
Learn about the transformative potential of container optimisation.
Retail and fashion are leading the way
In global logistics, optimising flows allows businesses to drive sustainability and cost savings at every step of the supply chain. This article highlights the challenges and opportunities of streamlining container usage across industries, from retail giants to FMCG companies.
Retail and fashion industries have long excelled at container optimisation, with utilisation rates often exceeding 90%. These industries showcase how innovative supply chain strategies, such as order management solutions, buyer consolidation and smart packaging designs, can maximise logistics efficiency. These companies are skilled in operating their supply chains to optimise container utilisation without impacting delivery timelines or planned schedules.
Buyer consolidation plays a central role in this approach. By combining goods from multiple vendors into a single shipment, companies can balance high container fill rates with on-time arrivals. This requires strong order visibility, supported by the upload of purchase orders with clearly defined due dates. With this data in place, logistics providers can manage shipments at order, item, or SKU level, ensuring that goods are consolidated within defined shipping windows and delivered according to plan.
The untapped potential within FMCG
Some companies in the FMCG sector have yet to fully unlock container optimisation opportunities, with utilisation rates often falling below 80%. This is largely due to supply chain complexities, such as global production, diverse transportation flows, and a mix of buying terms that affect control over shipments.
For instance, vendors may manage transportation to the destination port or directly to the final location under terms like CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight, where the seller covers transport costs up to the destination port) or DDP (Delivered Duty Paid, where the seller assumes responsibility for all duties and taxes). Conversely, consignees might handle all inbound logistics from the origin port or point of pickup under terms like FOB (Free on Board, where the buyer takes responsibility once the goods are loaded onto the shipping vessel) or FCA (Free Carrier, where the seller delivers goods to a specified location, such as a port or terminal). These varied arrangements can result in inefficiencies and lower utilisation levels.
Improved order management and shipment visibility offer a way forward. Today’s tools allow logistics providers to integrate order data even when they do not control every leg of transportation. By introducing shipping windows and enhancing visibility across inbound flows, FMCG businesses can better plan consolidation opportunities, improve utilisation, and still meet lead times and delivery commitments.
With large shipment volumes, often estimated at hundreds of thousands of containers globally, even modest improvements in FMCG container utilisation can deliver significant cost savings and measurable reductions in CO₂ emissions.
A recent example from the Middle East illustrates this potential. By implementing an end-to-end solution similar to those commonly used in retail and fashion, an FMCG business was able to significantly improve container utilisation and overall operational efficiency, reducing both costs and environmental impact.
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Barriers to container optimisation
Not all cargo can be optimised in the same way. Weight limitations, perishable goods and hazardous materials introduce unavoidable constraints. Heavy items often leave unused space unless combined with lighter goods, while refrigerated containers and similar goods present additional constraints.
In some cases, these requirements make full optimisation impossible. However, careful planning and proactive shipment design can still help mitigate inefficiencies.
What solutions help maximise efficiency?
Achieving higher container utilisation typically depends on a combination of technology, process discipline, and execution:
Visibility tools: technology enables logistics teams to manage shipments by due date, plan consolidation effectively, and identify exceptions early.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs): clear processes ensure that execution aligns with defined KPIs and optimisation goals.
Buyer consolidation: combining cargo from multiple shippers into one container for a single consignee maximises space utilisation.
Less-than-Container-Load (LCL) optimisation: when goods do not fill a full container, LCL shipments can be used strategically to avoid shipping underutilised containers.
By prioritising buyer consolidation and LCL solutions ahead of low-fill containers, businesses can reduce the number of containers moved overall, delivering cost savings while lowering emissions.
Collaboration is the way forward
Looking ahead, collaboration across supply chains will be critical. Greater alignment among shippers, buyers, and logistics partners opens the door to consolidating volumes across vendors and regions. If large FMCG organisations aligned shipments more closely, the potential financial and environmental benefits would be substantial.
Realising this potential requires coordinated logistics strategies, shared data, and a willingness to look beyond siloed operations. When partners work together, container optimisation becomes not just a logistics exercise, but a strategic lever for smarter, more sustainable global trade.
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