Preparing Your Fulfilment for Peak Season

With half of consumers expecting to start their holiday shopping before November, brands within the fashion, beauty and wellness sectors are gearing up for a surge in online sales.

Last year’s Black Friday period in the UK saw total sales reach an estimated £13.3 billion, with the health and beauty category achieving +7.6% YoY growth. The spike was largely attributed to deals popularised via social media platforms, such as TikTok, with 59% of all online sales during Black Friday derived from mobile devices.

But while sales events such as Black Friday (29^th November) and Cyber Week (2^nd December) are renowned for driving massive consumer interest, they also present challenges to brands, especially when it comes to delivering exceptional service.

Once your marketing, website optimisation and customer acquisition strategies are in place, the next crucial step is ensuring your logistics operations are fine-tuned for peak performance. This is where a 3PL’s expertise comes in; helping you get the fulfilment process right, so you can meet the high expectations of your customers – and build loyalty.

In this guide, we’ll cover the 5 key operational areas to prioritise during the peak period, with additional insights on how ILG can help your brand streamline its fulfilment to meet consumer demands.

1. Delivery

Customers today expect a variety of delivery options, from express same-day delivery to budget-friendly slower options. During peak periods, offering a well-curated selection is especially crucial:

• Flexible Delivery Windows
  Optimising your delivery options involves managing customer expectations around shipping times. Temporarily suspending next-day delivery guarantees in favour of promoting reliable slower options and informing customers about extended timelines can minimise frustration and encourage customers to complete their purchases.
• Basket Abandonment
  Last year, one in four baskets was abandoned before checkout, costing UK retailers a staggering £34.4 billion. With inadequate delivery choices cited as one of the key reasons, that situation is magnified during peak periods, such as Black Friday, as customers become increasingly impatient for their purchases. This means brands must offer a range of delivery options that cater to different customer needs, whether it’s fast shipping, standard delivery or sustainable options.

2. The Unboxing Experience

Whether you’re shipping a beauty product or fashion item, the packaging is the first physical interaction a customer has with your brand; a well-designed unboxing experience can be the difference between a one-time purchase and a loyal customer.

As a trusted fulfilment provider, ILG prioritises quality control and meticulous packaging for each order – especially during peak times. Here are some of the ways our experienced staff take pride in presenting your products to customers:

• Secure Packaging
  Damaged goods lead to customer disappointment and with 10% of ecommerce packages arriving damaged, this can lead to returns, lost revenue – and potentially tarnish your brand image. By using appropriate cushioning materials and sturdy boxes to keep them well-protected during transit, we help to minimise the risk of damage, ensuring your customers receive their orders in pristine condition – especially during high-volume periods like Black Friday.
• Efficient Packaging
  During the peak period, streamlining the packaging process can help speed up the fulfilment process, so brands can meet demand without sacrificing quality. This could involve using pre-sized boxes or standardised packing materials for specific product categories. Clients who partner with ILG, clients benefit from our quality control processes, ensuring that every package is assembled with care and delivered to customers in optimal condition.
• Sustainable Packaging
  With 60% of today’s customers demanding eco-friendly packaging options, it’s key for brands to use recyclable or biodegradable materials and to minimise packaging waste as part of their fulfilment strategy. Not only does this reduce your environmental footprint but also enhances the overall customer experience. For our practical tips to help make your brand’s e-commerce packaging more environmentally friendly, click here.
• Branded Packaging
  Custom-printed boxes, branded inserts and product personalisation, such as embossing and engraving, add a touch of sophistication and reinforces your brand identity in the customer’s mind. At ILG we pride ourselves on being an extension of your brand, giving our clients a bespoke fulfilment experience to help set you apart from your competitors.

3. Discount Strategy

Discounts are a powerful tool for attracting customers during peak periods, such as Black Friday and Cyber Weekend, but as customers become increasingly savvy, a more considered strategy for handling price reductions is essential.

Brands often update their discounts throughout the peak period to maintain momentum leading to buyers delaying purchases until they see steeper markdowns later in the sales season. A double-edged tactic, it’s effective for enticing customers to return, but can also lead to unpredictable, even unmanageable order volumes.

4. Order Dispatch Times

During peak periods, speed is a top priority for online shoppers and even the most efficient 3PL operations will experience an increase in processing times.

Be sure that your chosen provider has the capacity and infrastructure to meet your dispatch requirements, especially during peak times by communicating order forecasts well in advance – and manage customer expectations by clearly communicating revised dispatch timescales on your website and during checkout.

5. Flexible & Scalable Fulfilment with ILG

Consumers are now looking for deals over an extended period rather than one-off events, making scalable and flexible fulfilment even more crucial​.

ILG’s fulfilment solutions are activity-based, meaning we can scale up or down based on your sales volumes. That way, you only pay for the services you use, eliminating unnecessary costs during slower periods. With flexibility in staffing, you can scale up your operations quickly with additional skilled labour when needed, ensuring there are no delays in your order processing.

Conclusion

When new customers receive their orders on time, with care and in pristine packaging, they’re more likely to return – and recommend your brand to others. So, as the Peak 2024 period draws closer, ensuring your fulfilment operations are ready is essential to delivering a great customer experience.

At ILG, our technology, resources and workforce allow you to focus on growing your brand, knowing that your fulfilment is in expert hands. From flexible delivery options and order tracking to efficient order dispatch and an unforgettable unboxing experience, our proven experience in peak fulfilment means you can enjoy a smooth and successful peak period.

Ready to optimise your fulfilment for Peak 2024?

Visit our fulfilment enquiry page to find out more, or contact us to discuss how we can support your business during this critical period.

Read our previous blog to explore more ways to increase your customer retention before, during and after sales peaks.