Festive frustrations: Santa’s secret exposed!

Each year, Santa delivers presents to millions of children all over the world. For most people, this alone would be an impossible logistical undertaking. However, alongside this, Santa also has full responsibility for ensuring that his supply chain has sufficient capacity in the weeks and months leading up to the festive period to satisfy this seasonal peak in demand. Although Santa is the undisputed king of supply chain management, times are changing. Could the increasingly demanding nature of end consumers coupled with today’s crippling economic conditions really pose a threat to the future of Santa’s operation?

“Naughty and nice” will no longer suffice

In the past, children were happy with simple gifts. However, children today want everything from the latest game consoles to top designer branded clothes. Given that children these days are also far more sensitive to the latest trends and fashion, Santa is under more pressure than ever to be responsive to the sudden changes in the marketplace. Even naughty children seem to expect the very best in giftware!

When it comes to forecasting demand, this presents Santa with a real challenge. In years gone by, he could adopt a simple “who’s been naughty and nice?” approach when deciding his inventory requirements for the Christmas period. With more and more items to manage and increasingly demanding consumers, anticipating demand in this way is no longer sufficient. To achieve appropriate inventory levels, Santa must adopt a more scientific approach to forecasting.

Grottos & grocery stores: competition is all around us

Evolving demand patterns are not the only challenges Santa faces: as the world of e-commerce continues to grow, customers are turning their backs on Santa’s home delivery service in favour of more flexible omnichannel alternatives. With greater price transparency coupled with aggressive promotional activity, it is no wonder that Santa is losing out to all the major retailers.

In essence, Santa’s more traditional offering has started to look extremely dated in comparison to more modern competitors. After all, who would want a strange man in a red suit coming down their chimney in the middle of the night when there are so many other more convenient options on offer?

Unwrapping tied up working capital

In the face of unsettling events like Brexit, Santa is not immune from economic uncertainty. While the North Pole may be somewhat remote, with an operation as global Santa’s, he too must keep working capital in check. Ultimately, he cannot afford to allow inventory levels to spiral out of control.

Inventory optimisation: A gift everyone can enjoy!

There is no doubt that Santa and his team of elves face very different challenges today in years before. To avoid disappointing the billions of children who await Santa’s annual visit as well as to ensure the operations remain competitive, it is vital that Santa finds the balance between high availability levels while still keeping inventory levels and working capital under control. Having the right stock available at the right time not only ensures that children receive the gifts they deserve, but that his operation protected from competitive and financial pressures.

Given that many businesses share these challenges, what steps have you taken to ensure your organisation exceeds customer expectations and stays ahead of the competition?