Unitas Wholesale has created a tool to help independent retailers prepare for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).
The Unitas DRS Calculator is available through Plan for Profit, Unitas’ online retailer resource. Retailers can enter information about their business, including store type, size and average weekly sales, to build an indicative picture of the potential commercial and operational impact of DRS on their store.
The calculator estimates the potential number of containers that could be returned each week, models deposits flowing into and out of the business, estimates potential retailer handling fee income and helps retailers consider the storage requirements associated with either manual returns or a reverse vending machine.
Read more: Unitas pivots towards foodservice with newly created development role
“There is no doubt that the Deposit Return Scheme presents significant challenges for independent retailers,” said John Kinney, chief executive, Unitas Wholesale. “We want to cut through the complexity and translate the scheme into clear, practical information. That is why we have created our DRS Calculator, to give retailers genuinely useful support and help them start making informed decisions about what DRS could mean for their individual business.”
“The calculator takes industry-wide information and turns it into something much more meaningful at individual store level,” said Kinney. “It allows retailers to test different scenarios, understand the potential volumes and financial implications and start thinking about the practical decisions they will need to make. There won’t be one solution that is right for every retailer, so understanding what DRS could mean for your own store is essential.”
