We have a long and busy Peak Season approaching for online retailers — is your store ready?
With more and more consumers shopping online, Peak Season is the perfect occasion for online retailers to test new ideas for generating sales and building their brands! Following are six tips for e-tailers to get ahead this season and boost profitability.
Start Anchor Events Early
Consider starting your Black Friday deals earlier this year. By offering holiday deals earlier and stretching these sales into weekly events, you are very likely to boost profitability. A recent study found 54% of consumers are planning to start their holiday shopping before November. Take advantage of the excitement and start planning your anchor events early so you don’t miss opportunities for additional revenue!
Check International Cutoffs
Whether sending in-country or internationally, shipping providers suggest different cutoff dates by destination in order to guarantee the arrival of gifts and packages before the holiday. International shipments will take a bit longer than domestic, so it's important for online retailers servicing global shoppers to plan accordingly. Being aware of these dates helps ensure the arrival of gifts before Christmas and keeps customers happy!
Offer Many Shipping Options
Every year, shoppers all over the world become anxious about orders not being delivered in time for the holidays. With 88% of consumers preferring to shop online, offering a variety of options for customers to have their orders shipped helps ensure that packages are delivered when consumers need them. Some shoppers will start early and prefer a lower-priced shipping option since they have the time to wait for the order, while others may shop last minute and be willing to pay a premium for faster shipping. Offering choice is key.
Digital natives are most concerned about speed and convenience when shopping online and are willing to pay extra for faster shipping. Most shoppers expect orders to be fulfilled and delivered within two days, so online retailers should consider offering various shipping levels to satisfy customers!
Check Out Our Latest Podcast on this Topic!
We encourage customers to listen to Episode 9 of our podcast series
"Outside the Box with Asendia USA". In this episode titled,
"Global e-Commerce Shipping: Preparing for Peak Season”, our Asendia USA co-hosts,
John Walsh and Nick Agnetti discuss peak season planning, carrier selection,
communication, surcharges, capacity, transit expectations, and more.
Analyze Shipping Expenses
How much are you spending on shipping? Shipping costs are the number one expense when fulfilling orders and could contribute to other operational issues. Be aware of your ability to negotiate rates and industry association discounts. For international shipments, consider partnering with a consolidator that can save you significant money on global shipping costs due to the sheer volumes they handle for their customers and their long-time partnerships with foreign postal administrations around the globe.
Evaluate Storage Needs and Operations
Are your facilities lacking organization and filling with clutter? If the answer is yes, consider the use of a fully integrated fulfillment service. Fulfillment providers can help e-tailers by receiving and storing inventory, as well as packaging and shipping orders. Outsourcing these services can help e-tailers manage an influx of orders during Peak Season, ultimately increasing their revenue while creating a better customer experience for shoppers.
Develop an Improvement Plan
Finally, consider conducting audits of your website and inventory to make sure your site is user-friendly, accurate, and engaging. Prioritize seeking out the best way to get the largest ROI on your resources. You may need a new shipping partner, or you can even consider outsourcing fulfillment operations. If you’re shipping to customers in Canada or the rest of the world, Asendia USA can help! We welcome new e-commerce clients and will gladly give you peace of mind this Holiday season!
Asendia USA is excited and prepared for the upcoming Peak Season and sees this as a great opportunity to rise to the occasion and offer the best services to our e-commerce customers across the USA. If you’re looking to cut your international shipping costs and offer shoppers more choice, we have you covered!
Consider your current shipping operation and think about how we can help you prepare for this highly anticipated peak season or make improvements after the holiday for next year. Contact us to discuss options for growing your e-commerce business globally!
