Are you ready to excel in the upcoming peak delivery season of 2023? Before the holiday ecommerce season, it’s important to make sure your parcel delivery services work well. This seasonal period, stretching from September through December offers significant sales potential for e-commerce businesses.
Customers want packages on time, delivery companies charge more during busy times. But, the way things work in the supply chain has changed a lot since last year.
If you haven’t started your preparations yet, it’s high time to initiate them. If you’re unsure how to start planning your parcel delivery for your ecommerce platform, here are important things to handle before the busy season begins.
To assist you in maximizing your success during this peak delivery season, we’ve compiled expert advice and winning strategies.
Understanding the Importance of the Peak Delivery Season for Order Fulfillment
During busy delivery time, major parcel delivery companies like Purolator, FedEx, Canpar, and Canada Post handle a significantly higher volume of packages for ecommerce platforms than usual. This rise is most noticeable before and during the holiday season, which usually lasts from September to December.
High demand for carrier services now leads to delays and extra costs for online businesses. As an example, special handling fees are escalating, and we may temporarily suspend delivery assurances.
Hence, as an ecommerce business who has started flourishing, you should start staying ahead of the matrix and planning for your parcel order fulfillment.
Important Strategies to Succeed during the Holiday Season
During the holidays, more packages are sent and people expect them to be delivered on time and without mistakes. To succeed during this busy period, consider these essential strategies:
1. Preparation for Success
The essential element to attaining success in the high-demand delivery season is comprehensive and early preparation. Ensure timely delivery of your orders, particularly during significant shopping periods. The occasions consist of Thanksgiving in Canada, Halloween, the shopping events of Black Friday/Cyber Monday and Super Saturday, Christmas, and Boxing Week.
During these peak periods, delivery volumes reach their peak, placing considerable strain on courier services. To sidestep potential delays and customer dissatisfaction, consider delivery well in advance and provide a variety of fulfillment choices to your customers.
2. Assess the Existing Delivery Surcharges
Carriers employ various strategies to generate additional revenue from shippers during the holiday period. During the holiday season, FedEx and UPS apply extra charges called “Peak Surcharges” to many packages due to high demand.
Shippers should anticipate substantial surcharges from October to January of the following year, particularly for residential deliveries. UPS and FedEx have distinct timelines and amounts for each surcharge, so it’s essential to thoroughly review each category before sending out shipments.
Nevertheless, you need not accept high surcharge costs during the peak season. To avoid spending too much on extra charges, find creative ways. One way is to use smaller airlines. Another way is to be mindful of package sizes to avoid paying for oversized items.
With Ecom Logistics, you can enjoy flat shipping charges even during the peak holiday season.
3. Assess Your Delivery Procedures
It’s really important to get ready for the busiest time of the year in your delivery operations. To do this, you should plan carefully for how much stuff people are going to order. You need to check if your system can handle all those orders smoothly. Encourage customers to buy early to avoid extra fees during busy times, making things easier for them.
It’s a good idea to have more than one delivery company to choose from. If you only rely on one, it can cause problems and make deliveries slower. Having backup options is a good way to make sure customers are happy, especially during the busiest time of the year. Plus, it can even save you money and make things less risky if you use these backup carriers wisely.
4. Provide Faster Delivery Alternatives
To accommodate last-minute orders, it’s advisable to offer expedited shipping alternatives. These selections, such as Expedited or Express Services, assure next-day delivery for time-critical orders.
Ecom Logistics is a top choice for delivery during the busy holiday season. We offer a fixed shipping rate even during the peak season, so you always know what you’ll pay. We also help ecommerce businesses by handling the complex tasks of picking and packing, making things easier for ecommerce sellers. And if you want your packages super fast, we’ve got you covered with same-day and next-day delivery options. In a nutshell, Ecom Logistics is known for being reliable, fast, and convenient, making us the first choice for both businesses and customers during the holiday rush.
5. Understand Carrier Holiday Cut offs
It’s essential to familiarize yourself with the holiday schedules of various couriers to anticipate any potential disruptions in service. Not all courier companies follow the same timetable, and some may offer limited or no service on specific days. For example, Canada Post does not deliver on public holidays such as Remembrance Day and Christmas Day.
E-commerce businesses should begin their preparations for the upcoming holiday shipping rush. The period spanning from Black Friday to December 23rd becomes a chaotic race to ensure that all orders are dispatched in time for the holiday season. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, it’s crucial to initiate your preparations now.
To check the cut off for the carriers visit https://dclcorp.com/blog/shipping/last-days-to-ship/
6. Streamline Pickup Scheduling
Considering the potential for couriers to experience high demand or adverse weather conditions, it’s advisable to schedule pickups during the earlier part of the day. To accommodate any unforeseen delays, it’s practical to offer a reasonable pickup window that spans several hours. Keep in mind that pickups are typically conducted in the afternoon, so restricting the window to mornings only may not align with operational reality.
Summary
As the holiday ecommerce season approaches, effective parcel delivery strategies are paramount for success. Planning ahead is crucial for big shopping events. It ensures on-time and mistake-free deliveries.
The main focus is to offer various delivery choices. Watch out for extra charges from delivery companies. Find ways to reduce their impact, such as using local carriers or managing package sizes to avoid oversized fees.
Assess your delivery procedures and diversify carrier options to handle the expected order volumes efficiently. Providing faster delivery alternatives, understanding courier holiday schedules, and streamlining pickup schedules are crucial for on-time deliveries. Lastly, ensure all necessary documentation is in order, particularly for international shipments, to prevent delays. These strategies, along with expert advice, can help you maximize success during the peak delivery season in 2023.
Why Partner with Ecom Logistics?
Ecom Logistics is a leading Canadian 3PL providing end to end logistics solutions to North American businesses since 2017. Headquartered at North york, Ontario, equipped with more than 250,000 sq feet of warehousing space and the latest fulfillment technology, we have proved to be a trusted partner for thousands of businesses for all their warehousing and fulfillment needs. We also offer complimentary logistics services such as inventory management, same day and next day delivery, Canadian, US and international shipping options, returns management, LTL freight and much more.
Book a free consultation today! Click Here
