Agile logistics help beverage brand with Sainsbury’s launch
Ian Wright, managing director at Prism eLogistics, explores how agile supply chain partnerships are helping brands deliver ambitious rollouts.
SOFT DRINKS brand Hip Pop required a complex co-packing and logistics effort to be completed in two working days over a bank holiday weekend. The task involved assembling and distributing a large volume of promotional floor-standing display units (FSDUs) to multiple Sainsbury’s distribution centres across the UK.
This kind of project success rests on the ability to plan and execute a true end-to-end operation – something that specialist third party logistics providers, such as Prism eLogistics can deliver. From early consultation on display design to final-mile distribution, every stage must be integrated. Our 30,000 sq.ft premises based in Hampshire is equipped for exactly this kind of challenge, with automated packing lines capable of handling high-volume runs and sleeving systems that can adapt to rapid changes in product formats or branding.
Planning
Yet machinery alone isn’t enough. It takes planning precision and an expert team to make projects of this nature work. The Hip Pop campaign required coordinated shifts, 24-hour operations, and a transport team ready to move as soon as the final pallet was wrapped. Working over a bank holiday introduced further variables, from reduced haulage availability and tighter retail timelines through to less flexibility on collection windows. Success required clear communication across the supply chain, from suppliers and brand managers through to warehouse teams and retail partners.
Lesson to learn
The Hip Pop example illustrates a number of wider lessons for logistics professionals. First, co-packing and logistics need to be part of the brand strategy from the start and not treated as a final step. When supply chain teams are included early, they can spot opportunities to optimise packaging, streamline fulfilment, and avoid bottlenecks before they happen.
Secondly, it highlights that peak periods in retail are no longer confined to the final quarter of a year. Brands are launching year-round promotions and increasingly aligning campaigns to cultural moments, social media buzz, or wellness trends. That means readiness isn’t seasonal. Supply chains must now be equipped to deliver exceptional speed and flexibility at any time of year, including over long weekends when many other parts of the system slow down.
Finally, it reinforces the need for partnerships, not just providers. For a promotional launch like Hip Pop’s, the logistics team wasn’t simply executing a brief, they were adapting in real time, managing uncertainty, and solving problems as they happened on the ground. It’s this collaborative approach that transforms a supplier into a genuine growth partner.
