Preparing for Holiday Shipping Delays

Holiday Shipping and peak season impacts hit the logistics industry between August and January. The period is synonymous with higher rates and tighter capacity due to increased shopping volumes. Below is a list of steps to combat any holiday shipping delay.

Have a Schedule

A well-planned schedule is essential for a solid holiday shipping process. The approach minimizes surprises that may come your way and provides you with adequate time to gather tips and supplies in a peak shipping season. Planning your schedule early accounts for increased holiday demand, weather-related shipping delays, and other incidentals. Map out the entire shipping process without leaving any details, and include each step in your schedule. Ensure you review the carriers’ holiday shipping schedule, as most of them don’t deliver or pick up packages on major holidays. Check the carrier’s website for changes in operating hours or specific holiday closures.

Set Up a Second Fulfillment Center

Your business operations are made simpler with a single fulfillment center. It may keep your operations flowing normally, but challenges, including labor and weather issues, may limit your business efficiency. Having a second warehouse helps your business operate more efficiently and become more reliable, saving you a great deal of money in the long run. Each city has varying delivery times, and choosing the biggest city may not be the best option. Ensure you notify your clients through a find post office tool to make them aware when their package is ready.

Engage Clients to Avoid Late Orders

Peak season is frustrating for everyone as not everything goes according to plan. Most business owners may procrastinate on purchasing holiday gifts during the holiday season, but clients will always have a better experience if they order and plan ahead. The approach locks in sales for your business, providing you with peace of mind that the products will be safely delivered before the agreed deadline. Open communication lines with clients minimize the possibility of under-delivering and over-promising. Ensure you set clear expectations and only make delivery promises that you can keep.

Track Your Holiday Shipping

Shipment tracking is the best practice to integrate all year round. The increase in shipping spending for manufacturers and online sellers makes tracking your cargo essential. The holiday season is usually busy, and it’s sometimes hard to keep up with a never-ending to-do list. Ensure you plan ahead by integrating parcel auditing into the shipping strategy to avoid stress. Parcel auditing utilizes analytics and automation, allowing business owners to monitor their cargo 24/7. Automation will enable shippers to gain clarity on late deliveries, unexpected overcharges, and damaged packages. There are multiple details associated with the shipping process, and the naked eye alone can’t manage various touch points related to shipments.

Prepare Top Inventory

Ensure you have adequate inventory for your top-selling products. Solve this issue by projecting stocking requirements for the holiday season using the previous year’s sales forecast. A proper inventory minimizes delays in shipping that may force business owners to use an expensive service as an alternative that may scare the clients. Ensure you pre-pack top-selling products during the downtime period. Write package weights on top of the boxes to facilitate the easy shipment of products on the exact day the order is placed to keep customers happy. Lastly, have suitable materials for shipping, including labels, boxes, and tissue tape. Identify the current stock levels of the highlighted products and order whatever you need to propel your business through the holidays.

Optimize Client Shipments

The rise in popularity of e-commerce allows most customers to place their orders online. To stay efficient and organized, it’s always crucial to integrate the latest technology to optimize client shipments. Inventory management software includes features for shipping and inventory management. Vendor management helps ventures of all sizes track purchase orders, vendor pricing, and other critical details to allow you to re-order or order when necessary. Square for retail includes useful shipping features and vendor management and is often free for businesses with inadequate monthly fees.

Situate Your Shipping and Packing Area in an Ideal Location

Pretend you’re a city planner when determining where to set up the shipping and packing zone. Figure out the direction team members will come from when entering the workspace and the direction they’re bound to take when they leave.

Consider the nature of items team members will carry around the distribution area, including products, storage bins, carts, and other shipping equipment. Ensure every team member has a direct route to the shipping and packing area regardless of what they carry. The site should have adequate space for workstations and supply storage. Use tape to restrict the space and perform run-throughs before deciding on the ideal location for the shipping and packing zone. Ensure the workspace has adequate visibility and a design that improves productivity and efficiency to minimize issues before installation.

Shipping delays pose a significant challenge to e-commerce marketers. Ensure you plan ahead and communicate with your customers to navigate the holiday rush easily.