Magazines have a short commercial lifespan, but profitability can be optimised by shrinking the time between printing and sale. To continue meeting the needs of publishers and retailers, distributors are constantly looking for new efficiency gains. CurTec’s plastic lidded crates make life easier for retailers when returning stock, keep magazines safe and secure during transit, and allow for easy processing on their return. Read more about the advantages of CurTec crates for magazine distribution.

1. Bright ideas:
The best magazine
handling solution

2. Magazine commissioning and distribution
solution
The sale and distribution of magazines is an increasingly demanding logistical process. An
expanding range of different magazine titles pass through distribution centres, from
which they need to be quickly shipped to a mass of retail outlets such as
newsagents, bookstores, supermarkets and petrol stations.
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3. Distribution centre staff must pick unique orders each day, dependent on the varying
requirements of each of their retail outlet clients. Plus, retailers have the right to return
any unsold magazines and be re-credited for items returned in good condition.
This complex flow of deliveries and returned stock places increasing demands on
packaging in the supply chain. The industry is searching for new efficiencies and better
handling solutions, while keeping the product in prime condition. Traditional magazine
strapping methods no longer meet these demands, and increasingly plastic crates are
replacing them.
This move towards more standardised packaging and application of ergonomic
intelligence has dramatically improved efficiency, best working practice and health and
safety. Valuable magazines are protected in transit and arrive in a neat stack, helping
retailers and publishers.
This is the third edition of ‘Bright Ideas’ in which improvements to magazine handling
using plastic crates are explained. The following topics will be addressed in further
editions:
 Order picking
 Distribution
 Returns
 Advantages of CurTec’s solutions
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4. Packaging solution for magazine handling
Magazines have a short commercial lifespan, but
profitability can be optimised by shrinking the time
between printing and sale. To continue meeting
the needs of publishers and retailers, distributors
are constantly looking for new efficiency gains.
Automating part of the process is the most
effective way to achieve this. With plastic
crates, conveyor belts can be used which reduces
the amount of manual lifting. When this process is
complete, plastic crates can be automatically
stacked in large numbers ready for delivery.
CurTec has consulted with ergonomists throughout the design process to make crates
easy to use when manual handling is required. All aspects of human interaction with the
crates were studied in detail including the required loading and lifting heights. Handgrips
make the crates easier to carry than cardboard boxes or plastic-strapped bundles.
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5. Inventive solution for effective conditioning
Often retailers bundle the returned magazines themselves or use banana boxes. If the
returns are not packed properly, this creates a lot of problems during processing. In
short, the proposed solution causes a lot of inconvenience. CurTec has developed an
inventive solution for effective conditioning.
CurTec’s plastic lidded crate provides a very clever solution to this problem. They keep all
of the magazines in a neat and stable stack to minimize the damage of magazines.
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6. Major advantages of the CurTec magazine
crates
CurTec’s cases make handling by machines and staff as simple as possible. Crates have a
fixed place for the attachment of barcodes, allowing them to be easily scanned for
tracking and tracing. Major advantages of CurTec’s cases:
 Easy handling through ergonomic design
 Magazines are kept in a neat and stable stack
 Magazines are protected from damage
 Additional fastening eliminated
 Returns process is made simpler
Smart and stable. Typical CurTec!
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7. Selecting the best possible packaging for
your product is a real challenge...
You need packaging that offers the right protection, safe and easy handling and smooth
integration with your operations, while boosting your product’s image and satisfying the
quality requirements of your entire supply chain.
CurTec offers a full consultation service, working with you to identify the best packaging
solution to meet your needs. We support your own in-house expertise with innovative
solutions that reduce costs and add value to your product.
Apply for a FREE
Packaging Requirement Consultation
Click here to apply
or contact the Sales Department: +31 161 221 911
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8. About CurTec
CurTec designs, manufactures and distributes High Performance Packaging for various
logistic applications.
All Materials handling products add value to your supply chain. Visit our website for
more product info or contact the Sales Department:
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