If you’re still packing in-house, this one’s for you.
In 2025, the UK manufacturing sector is under pressure.
Wage increases, rising energy bills, insurance premiums, supply chain disruptions, and growing consumer expectations are squeezing margins across the board.
And one area that’s finally getting the spotlight? Packing.
More and more manufacturers are moving away from DIY packing and turning to outsourced solutions – and for good reason.
If you’re still handling packing internally, here’s what it could be costing you… and what you stand to gain by outsourcing it to a trusted UK partner like Excel Contract Packing.
Let’s Talk Numbers 📈
Here are five of the biggest in-house packing costs manufacturers are struggling with:
- Labour Costs – From April 2025, the UK National Living Wage for workers aged 21+ rose to £12.21/hour. For a 40-hour week, that’s over £25,396/year per employee (Source: Gov.uk).
- Warehouse Space – Commercial rents are now averaging £5-£6 per sq ft. Factor in insurance and rates, and you’re looking at £60,000+ annually for just 10,000 sq ft (Source: Savills).
- Insurance Premiums – Business insurance rose by 8% in 2024 alone, and logistics-heavy businesses are feeling it most (Source: Allianz Commercial).
- Energy Bills – Industrial electricity prices rose by 15% in 2024, with average monthly bills hitting £3,000-£5,000 for mid-sized sites (Source: Ofgem).
- Equipment + Maintenance – Even entry-level bagging machinery starts at £50,000. High-speed automated lines? Try £550k+. And don’t forget maintenance, servicing and training costs (Source: Packaging News).
And that’s not even counting admin time, materials, recruitment, downtime, or error-related losses.
So… Why Are Smart Manufacturers Outsourcing?
Because with a fully managed partner like Excel, you don’t just remove all of the above – you gain:
🔄 Scalability – Whether you need 1,000 or 100,000 kits, we scale to suit you.
🚚 Speed – Our machines pack up to 1,800 units per hour. Tight deadlines? No problem.
🛋️ Simplicity – We handle everything from sourcing components to warehousing, labelling and dispatch.
🏦 Space Savings – No need for extra warehouse or storage. We’ve got it covered.
🌱 Sustainability – Local packing reduces carbon miles. And we offer eco-friendly materials too.
💼 Peace of Mind – With full traceability, quality control and a dedicated team, your packaging is in safe hands.
A Real-World Example 🔍
We recently packed 65,000 boiler sub kits for a UK manufacturer in just 10 days. No hiring, no overtime, no downtime.
That’s the power of a reliable partner.
What Makes Excel Different?
We’re not just a packing company. We’re:
🔍 Specialists in high-speed auto-bagging and hand-packing
🛋️ A one-stop shop: from sourcing to dispatch
🌟 Known for saving our customers 20-30% compared to in-house ops
👨💻 Backed by 40+ years of industry experience
🌿 Family-run and proudly UK-based
Ready to Ditch the DIY Headaches?
If you’re feeling the pressure on costs, efficiency or team resources, we’d love to show you what a difference outsourcing can make.
Book a call or drop us a message today – and let’s chat about how Excel can support your operations in 2025 and beyond.
