Fulfilment challenges for webshops during peak season
For many online stores, the holiday peak season is a golden opportunity. However, it also brings several challenges, from supply rush and inventory management to order forecasting, customer service, and returns management. Achieving a successful peak season requires a solid strategy and thorough preparation. In this article, we highlight the key challenges and how online stores can address them to maximise the benefits of this busy period.
Key Dates
In the fourth quarter of 2024, certain dates are crucial for e-commerce and mark the e-commerce peak:
• Singles Day = Monday, November 11th
• Black Friday = Friday, November 29th
• Cyber Monday = Monday, December 2nd
• Sinterklaas (NL&BE) = Thursday, December 5th
• Christmas = December 25th and 26th
These moments are significant because consumers shop online en masse. Although exact growth rates vary annually and by region, we generally see a 30-50% increase compared to regular months in many markets. By preparing early, you can ensure you don’t miss out on orders.
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Inventory Management: Striking the Right Balance
During the peak season, order volumes often rise sharply, so having sufficient stock to meet demand is essential. At the same time, there’s a risk of excess stock if demand is misjudged.
- Storage capacity: For that reason, peak seasons often require additional storage space. Hexspoor E-fulfilment can accommodate this. However, to maintain an optimal workflow, it’s important to notify Hexspoor E-fulfilment in time so additional locations can be appointed within the desired storage zones.
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Just-in-time supply
- Timely notifications: To ensure that Hexspoor E-fulfilment is prepared for your deliveries, it’s essential to send a pre-notification of new deliveries in our Customer Portal. You can submit the notification yourself or request login access for your suppliers so they can handle it directly. Timely and correct notifications allow our receipt team to quickly inspect and process delivered goods, and make your new stock available as quickly as possible.
- Accurate deliveries: Maintain clear communication with suppliers so popular products are restocked without holding excessive inventory. Sending delivery instructions of the fulfilment warehouse again before the peak season can help ensure deliveries are submitted correctly to Hexspoor. Not following these instructions may cause delays upon receipt.
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Forecasting is key
With rising order volumes, the pressure on logistics processes also increases. A smooth-running fulfilment process is crucial for customer satisfaction during this time. Key aspects include:
- Updating forecasts: To ensure the right capacity is available at the right time, an accurate order forecast is essential. Please send us your forecast in advance, and if there are adjustments, let us know.
- Reporting marketing actions: Inform us if specific marketing campaigns are running on particular days. Indicate which products are involved and what to expect, so we can anticipate the demand within the logistics process.
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Customer Service at full capacity
Higher demand means more customer inquiries and potential complaints. In busy periods, customer service teams can quickly become overwhelmed. Here’s how we can work together to ensure smooth customer service during peak season:
- Customer Portal: Use our Customer Portal to check the status of your orders or stock levels. Hexspoor’s Customer Portal answers many common questions, which helps reduce pressure on customer service, allowing them to focus on queries that can’t be answered online.
- Team scaling: Hexspoor’s support team is fully staffed during peak season to address any questions. To help us respond quickly and accurately, please email your questions, ideally grouped if there are multiple queries. This allows us to provide answers as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
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Returns Management: Efficiency and customer satisfaction
Peak seasons often come with a higher rate of returns. Managing returns efficiently is crucial for minimising losses and maintaining customer satisfaction.
- Clear return policies: Ensure your return policy is clear and customer-friendly so customers know what to expect.
- Analysing and optimisation: Review which products are frequently returned and identify patterns indicating product or description issues.
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Communication and Marketing: Managing expectations wisely
In addition to operational challenges, a strong marketing and communication approach is essential. Setting clear expectations with customers regarding delivery times, return policies, and available discounts can prevent frustration.
- Communicating delivery times: Reassure customers that their order will arrive on time, but be realistic. Many carriers struggle to meet promised SLAs during peak times. Consider mentioning this on your website to prevent negative experiences due to unmet expectations.
- Preventing stockouts: Peak season is ideal for promotions, but don’t overdo it. Make sure your offers are realistic, especially if they drive demand. A stock connection ensures you don’t sell items that are no longer available.
- Personal touch: During the holiday season, adding a personal touch to your shipments is a great way to enhance your brand. Ask about the “thank you” card module at Hexspoor E-fulfilment. With minimal or even no modifications to your online store connection, we can print a personalised card to include with your orders: “Thank you for your order and wishing you a Merry Christmas, Susanne.”
Conclusion
The peak season brings unique opportunities and challenges for online stores. By investing in a robust and scalable logistics process, flexible customer service, and thoughtful communication, you can not only get through this busy period but also lay a solid foundation for long-term customer loyalty.
For more questions on handling peak season or the role Hexspoor E-fulfilment can play, contact us at mail@hexspoor.nl or contact your Account Manager.