Why Buying British is Better for Medical Mattresses and More
Published 8th July 2024
In post-Brexit Britain, a lot of companies use the idea of ‘buying British’ simply as a marketing ploy. They play on your patriotism to imply that their products and services are better just because they are British.
However, here at Redwood, buying British, on everything from medical mattresses to retail bedding, patient handling equipment to technical fabrics, means more than just a feel-good factor. Buying British from Redwood delivers genuine, tangible advantages. Sourcing medical mattresses and more from Redwood delivers benefits on price, reliability, and service that you simply won’t get by sourcing your products anywhere else.
The rising cost of containers
While it may be cheaper to have your medical mattresses and other goods manufactured overseas, getting them here to the UK is increasingly costly and complicated. According to the Drewry World Container Index, shipping costs have been rising rapidly in recent months. Factors such as the attacks in the Red Sea and huge demand across the West, mean that container transport costs have tripled since 2023.
In the last week alone (20/6 to 27/6), container costs from Shanghai to Rotterdam increased by 7%. With budgets tight across the healthcare sector, it is almost impossible to account for a 7% rise in costs in just a single week.
Redwood are located right here in the UK in Skelmersdale. We couldn’t be better placed, just 32miles from the geographical centre of the UK and right on the doorstep of the extensive motorway network. That means our transport costs are not subject to the same wild fluctuations as international orders, so you can budget for your medical mattresses and technical textiles with complete confidence.
Reliable deliveries in an unreliable world
The problems with using overseas suppliers are not limited to fluctuating costs. Any number of unpredictable issues can leave your delivery stuck in some foreign port or even out at sea. In 2021, the container ship Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal for six days and caused disruption to the global transport system that lasted for months. The recent bridge crash in Baltimore closed the port for two months and caused chaos for global shipping
Incidents like these are impossible to predict, and so to combat this lack of reliability, many organisations feel the need to stockpile their supplies. However, this approach only adds to the cost of equipment such as medical mattresses, as organisations need to find space for warehousing, and provide heating and lighting. Stockpiling also increases the risk of increased waste through over ordering.
With Redwood, you don’t have to worry about problems on the geopolitical stage. Our purpose built warehouse in Skelmersdale holds a vast stock of everything from technical fabrics to finished medical mattresses. That means we can offer a ‘just-in-time’ delivery service, solidifying your supply chain and avoiding the need to hold large quantities of stock on site.
Redwood’s complete supply chain management solution works in partnership with you to ensure your organisation gets exactly what it needs, exactly when it needs it. Which means that while others are all at sea with their stock, you’ll be on the road to success with reliable, dependable service.
Not just a slogan
Buying British is much more than just a slogan here at Redwood; it’s a logical, practical and reliable supply chain solution for all your medical mattress and technical textile needs. And that’s just the start of the benefits. Read our companion article (link) this month to see the other benefits of buying British with Redwood, including collaborative working, unrivalled technical expertise and significantly improved sustainability for your organisation.
To find out more about buying British with Redwood, get in touch with our team today.
