Sea freight takes weeks. Then comes customs clearance, then the warehouse, and only then can the first order go out. Every step gets busier as December approaches.

Businesses that have a calm Christmas usually have their stock landed and put away before the rush, so orders go out on time.

Work back from your selling date

Start with the date your stock must be ready to sell, then allow for:

• Receiving, checking and putting stock away in the warehouse
• Customs and biosecurity clearance
• Time at sea
• Waiting at the origin port for a sailing

Then add a buffer. Ports, carriers and warehouses are at their busiest before Christmas, and Asian factories close for Chinese New Year from late January, so stock that misses the December window can be held up well into the new year.

One team from wharf to shelf

Once your freight lands and clears customs, it goes straight into the racks, is picked when your customer orders, and is packed, weighed and labelled for dispatch.

Each of those steps is a handover. With freight forwarding and warehousing under one roof, there is no gap between them, and one team answers for all of it. Method Global runs this across Christchurch, Auckland and Brisbane, handling more than 1,500 warehouse orders a month.

South Island orders don't have to start in Auckland

Auckland makers and importers can hold stock in our Christchurch warehouse. It travels south in bulk, then each order is picked locally and delivered direct to stores and distribution centres, cutting both transit time and the cost of the last leg.

Plan it now

If you are importing for the season, talk to Method Global now, while there is still time to plan it properly. Book a logistics review.