Significant Savings on Packaging at DBK

They Reduced Labour Costs by 80% with an Investment in an E-Com Packer

DBK (the Danish book distributor for publishers) invested in VARO’s E-Com Packer and achieved a 50% reduction in packaging costs and an 80% reduction in labour costs. At the same time, the environmental impact has been reduced, as parcels are now shipped without excess air.

One of the leading figures behind DBK’s significant packaging savings is Heiko Weissflog, Senior Technician at DBK. He quickly recognized that if peak e-commerce periods such as Black Friday and Christmas were not to result in bottlenecks and extended delivery times, changes had to be made.

He initiated the installation of the first VARO packaging machine as early as 2007. Since then, two additional automated packaging machines have been installed. Today, DBK handles packaging on three systems, one of which can pack two different package sizes simultaneously.

About DBK

More than 1,000 Danish publishers use DBK as their book distributor, representing 95% of the total commercial book market in Denmark. Learn more about DBK at www.dbk.dk.

No bottlenecks

“In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, order volumes reached 200% of normal levels during the Christmas season. It would have been impossible to handle without an automated packaging system, and with the E-Com Packer, we never experience bottlenecks.”

— Heiko Weissflog

When asked about the collaboration with VARO, Heiko Weissflog says: “It has been a very positive experience. The employees at VARO are highly skilled from a technical perspective, and VARO has the right expertise to develop solutions tailored to each customer’s specific needs.”

Benefits of the E-com Packer

  • The machine has a compact footprint and requires minimal floor space. It is easy to integrate into existing warehouse systems
  • The E-Com Packer reduces packaging consumption and eliminates the need for plastic void fill materials such as bubble wrap
  • The E-Com Packer reduced the labour costs by 80% for DBK and cut packaging consumption by 50%
  • DBK ships products without damage and reduces transportation costs by eliminating excess air in its packages

The investment pays off quickly

According to Heiko Weissflog, e-commerce companies should not hesitate to invest in a VARO E-Com Packer.

“It is not an expensive solution, and the investment is typically paid back within 18 months, provided the machine operates at full capacity and handles at least 3,000 parcels per day”