As the festive season approaches, most people are preoccupied with gift shopping, turkey recipes, and arguing about whether it’s too early to put up decorations. But for butchers, Christmas brings a very different kind of pressure—a tidal wave of customers, complex pre-orders, and the relentless task of keeping everything running smoothly.
Let’s talk about the real story behind the scenes—and how Velocity helps butchers not only survive, but thrive, during their busiest time of year.
The Christmas Crunch
Christmas is to butchers what Black Friday is to retailers. Orders spike, customers queue out the door, and every mistake is amplified.
Some common pain points include:
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Pre-Order Pandemonium: Managing customer orders weeks in advance, ensuring nothing is missed, and avoiding double-booking stock.
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Stock Control Stress: Keeping shelves full without over-ordering. Turkeys, pigs-in-blankets, and gammon joints all need careful planning.
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Handwriting Headaches: For those still using paper slips and sticky notes, legibility and loss are a constant risk.
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Customer Expectation Overload: No one wants to tell a customer their Christmas centrepiece isn’t ready. At this time of year, mistakes carry extra weight.
And let’s not forget the sheer exhaustion—early starts, late finishes, and a warehouse full of products to sort, label, and dispatch.
How Velocity Helps (and Has Helped!)
Velocity has been in the thick of Christmas with some of the UK’s best butchers for over a decade. We understand that December isn’t just another month—it’s the main event. That’s why we’ve shaped our software to tackle these seasonal headaches head-on.
1. Christmas Pre-Order Module
Velocity includes a purpose-built Christmas Orders feature. Take orders in advance, slot them into the calendar, and manage cut-off dates. Each order is linked directly to the customer, so there’s no need to decipher scribbled notes. It’s clear, clean, and auditable.
Whether the customer placed their order online via your integrated website or walked in with a notepad, everything ends up in the same place—ready to be picked, packed, and handed over with confidence.
2. DigIn for In-Store Ordering
Our DigIn touchscreen ordering system shines during the festive period. For example, J Brindon Addy Butchers use it to capture customer orders on tablets, replacing piles of paper slips. Orders sync directly with Velocity and appear on production and collection schedules automatically.
It’s faster. It’s more accurate. And it keeps your counter staff smiling.
3. Integrated Website Support
We’ve helped many of our butcher clients integrate their websites directly into Velocity. That means when a customer places a Christmas order online—whether for Christmas Eve collection or delivery the week before—it’s treated just like an in-shop order. No retyping. No risk of oversight.
You can even set up a dedicated Christmas shop and manage availability by product and day. Clean, easy, and reliable.
4. Production & Packing Visibility
Velocity’s production tools let you see exactly what needs to be made, by when, and in what quantities. You can generate prep sheets and pick lists tailored to your specific Christmas workflows—no more working off guesses or scribbles.
5. Customer Communication
From automated confirmation emails to pick-up reminders, Velocity keeps customers informed and reassured. That’s one less phone call your staff has to make.
Real Results
Last Christmas, butchers using Velocity reported:
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Fewer mistakes on orders
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Smoother customer collections
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Reduced paper clutter
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And, most importantly—less stress
Whether you’re planning to digitise your Christmas operations for the first time or are looking to take things to the next level, Velocity is ready to help.
Want a better Christmas this year?
Let’s chat. We’ll show you how Velocity can take the pressure off and let you focus on what you do best: serving your customers with incredible food and friendly service—without the festive chaos.
