Brazil prepares for Mardi Gras logistics snarls

Logistics providers throughout Brazil this week are making special arrangements to meet the annual spike in demand triggered by Mardi Gras celebrations, even as much of the country shuts down today and tomorrow for a massive wave of travel and celebration.

The tension between increased demand and restricted supply is a tricky puzzle every year for retail operations, but companies can solve the challenge with enough logistical planning, according to Dachser, the Germany-based global logistics firm that recently expanded its footprint in South America.

According to Dachser, companies in the region can follow four tips to avoid logistical snarls during the week of Carnival celebrations:

• create an adequate stock, considering the entire Carnival period
• inform your dispatcher of your priority shipments, since space might be limited
• reserve consignments well before Carnival begins
• save space on commercial flights for shipments that cannot be delayed; the rates are a bit higher, but this measure will keep your supply chain running if needed.

"It is a challenge for companies to meet the high demand of market during this time, as the season also tends to be an economic peak in several sectors of products and services like drinks, supplies, food, etc., that increase commercialization," João Paulo Caldana, Managing Director of Dachser in Brazil, said in a release.

Despite that jump in demand, the flow of goods is often hobbled because many Brazilians leave their cities and travel throughout the country, causing increased traffic and road congestion that can lead to delivery delays, he said. "Logistical planning ensures that there is no loss of sales for our customers, and good planning should be in place not only for the pre-carnival period, but also for during and after the party," Caldana said.

Festivities in this season typically begin on the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday and end on Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. The date of Easter Sunday changes in the calendar every year, but in 2020 that schedule would run from Friday, Feb. 21 to Wednesday, Feb. 26, with Mardi Gras itself falling on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

However, the specific dates of Carnival can vary between individual towns throughout Brazil, so this year, the nation's biggest Carnival celebration will run from Feb. 21 to 29 in Rio de Janeiro, culminating with a capstone festival in the city's Sambadrome facility.