Prep for a record-breaking BFCM
It’s time for your annual pre-holiday check up! As the holiday season approaches, most brands focus on festive marketing campaigns and promotional offers. But one of the most crucial elements of a successful holiday season often remains overlooked—logistics.
Whether your goal is to increase sales, boost customer satisfaction, or simply avoid operational chaos, your ability to efficiently manage and deliver your products is what will make or break your holiday season.
To help ensure you’re ready, we’re offering a complimentary logistics "check-up" to identify potential gaps in your supply chain strategy before the busy season hits. Contact us today to schedule a free no-obligation consultation. Here are five examples of what we'll cover during your check-up discussion:
1) Are Your Shipping Costs Perfectly Optimized?
Shipping costs can make or break your margins, especially during the high-volume holiday season. Many brands rely on outdated shipping strategies or fail to re-evaluate their shipping contracts, leading to missed opportunities for cost savings. During the check-up, we’ll analyze:
Carrier contracts and rate cards: Are you using the best / cheapest carriers? Are paying more than you should?
Package consolidation opportunities: Could you save by bundling items into single parcels more often?
Multi-carrier strategies: Would adding alternative carriers in certain weight bands or destination zones reduce costs?
By optimizing your shipping strategy, you can reduce costs without compromising delivery times, giving you more room to play with holiday pricing and promotions.
2) Are Your US and Global Warehouse Locations Optimized Based on Where Your Customers Live?
Shipping distances have a direct impact on both costs and delivery times. If your warehouse network isn’t aligned with your customer distribution, you could be losing money and disappointing customers with slower-than-expected deliveries. During the check-up, we’ll assess:
Geographic alignment: Are your fulfillment centers located near high-density customer regions? We’ll create a free order destination heat map using your historical shipment zip code data. Again, no obligation (and no confidential info is required to be shared).
Cross-border shipping considerations: If you're shipping internationally, are there better options to reduce lead times and customs delays?
Regional carrier networks: Are you leveraging the most efficient regional carriers in each domestic and international market?
By strategically positioning your warehouses, you can cut delivery times, reduce costs, and keep your customers happy during the holiday rush.
3) Do You Have Contingency Plans for Shipping Carrier Delays or Disruptions?
Even with the best planning, external factors like weather, strikes, or a pandemic can disrupt your supply chain. During our check-up, we’ll examine:
Backup carrier options: Are you prepared to pivot to alternative (and affordable) shipping carriers in case of disruption?
Multi-distribution centers: Would diversifying your distribution network mitigate risk during a crisis?
Proactive communications strategies: Do you have the ability to quickly notify customers of delays in transit and offer solutions before customers notice the issue?
Having contingency plans in place allows you to keep the wheels turning even when things don’t go according to plan, preventing costly delays and customer dissatisfaction.
4) Is Your Return Process Seamless and Ready for a Holiday Surge?
The holiday season often leads to a higher-than-usual volume of returns. An efficient, customer-friendly return process is critical to maintaining a good brand reputation. During the check-up, we’ll review:
Reverse logistics efficiency: How quickly can your 3PL or warehouse process returns and restock inventory?
Pre-paid return labels and tracking: Are you offering customers an easy and affordable way to return items?
Return policies: Are your policies clear and designed to promote confidence in purchase decisions and build customer loyalty?
5) Are You Prepared to Scale Quickly if Holiday Demand Exceeds Your Forecast?
Many brands set aggressive sales targets for the holidays but fail to ensure their supply chain can handle a surge. We’ll look into:
Scalability of your operations: Can your fulfillment team quickly ramp up capacity to handle a surge in orders?
Automation and technology: Are you leveraging automation or order management systems to avoid bottlenecks?
Staffing and fulfillment center resources: Are there enough personnel and resources in place to meet peak demand?
Scalability is about more than just processing orders—it’s about doing it efficiently without sacrificing quality or accuracy.
A Healthier Supply Chain = Happier Customers This Holiday Season
At Rush Order, we specialize in making sure brands like yours are prepared for the high-stakes holiday season. From cost optimization and inventory management to contingency planning and customer satisfaction, our expert 3PL services ensure that your logistics strategy runs like a well-oiled machine when you need it most.
A quick logistics "check-up" can make all the difference between a successful holiday season and one filled with headaches. Don’t wait until it’s too late—schedule your check-up today and make this holiday season your best yet.
Let us help you deliver happiness, one package at a time. 🎁
Contact us or use the calendar below to schedule your free logistics check-up and prepare your business for holiday success!
