MAJOR SHIPPING PROBLEM TO GO ON TO AT LEAST 2023

[TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED]

WORLD WIDE SHIPPING PROBLEM WILL BE WITH US UNTIL 2023
 

https://think.ing.com/articles/the-rise-and-rise-of-global-shipping-costs

There as been a trend for model boxes, both Diecast and Plastic kits to get larger and larger, to give so called shelf presence.

With the capacity needed to get as many products into a Cubic Meter on a Container, it is likely the boxes will get smaller.

Example is the new Airfix 1/35 Cromwell which is a nice kit, but its box is 30/40% larger than the Tamiya 1/35 Cromwell, therefore Tamiya will fit 30/40% more in a Cubic Meter of shipping space.

The main reason is the Hull on the Tamiya version is pre-molded and fits in the end of the box, the Airfix one is in a number of parts on its own sprue and thats is the largest sprue in the box.

Both boxes are the same depth but the Airfix version is about 40% larger in is surface.

Therefore Airifx will be paying 30/40% more for fresh air in the container.

We are already asking suppliers to look at reduction in the size of their product boxes, on new release items, so we can maximize the amount of models we can shift for the cost of a cubic meter of space.

Again HM boxes are no bigger than they need to be, this also helps the retailers when they ship to you.

We have not long got the new Infinity Models 1/32 Sb2C Helldiver kit, which I expected to be in a massive box, but was surprised to see a deep box, but surface of no larger than a 1/48 Eduard 109 Box

The depth of the Helldiver box is about 5mm deeper than the Eduard 109 box, but the surface size is not more than 5% larger, the Helldiver kit weights 900 grams and the Bf109 375 grams.  The Eduard Box is 60% fresh air.

 

The new Infinity 1/32 Helldiver is £99.99 which gives you a nice large kits to build with no extra parts left in the box other than the sprue trees.

They then sell 7 accessory sets for the modeler, such as detailed bomb bay, Wing Folding set, i.e if you are building the Helldiver in Flight then the wing folding parts are a waste of time.

Basically kits when you finish the model, have more left in the box than is on the model are at some point going to attract the Plastic waste Warriors, or regulations its only a matter of time.

Logistics is often looked at as a necessary evil, and in the hobby trade, it is something that's normally well down the worry list, but its now something that needs to be looked at when they design products.

The cost of shipping is massive compared to even 10 months ago, our annual spend on logistics was about ( container costs FCL ( Full Container loads) and LCL ( Less than Container Load) £35,000, the next 12 months we will have to budget poss £120,000 and we are a smallish company.

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by TIGER HOBBIESLIMITED