Prepare for peak season
Running a business can be demanding all year round.
However, there are some periods during the year when demand is higher than usual – like when heading into December.
This end-of-year holiday rush can make or break your business, depending on how well you prepare. That’s why it’s essential for business owners, managers and entrepreneurs like you to prepare for the peak season and avoid being caught up in the holiday rush when it comes to shipping.
Here’s how to keep your thriving business moving over the Christmas and New Year period.
What is peak shipping season?
Peak shipping season refers to the time of year from October through to January when freight orders and shipment volumes see a huge influx, leading to more order fulfillment requests and returns to process. This is due to the busy holiday shopping season surrounding popular shopping events including Black Friday and general gift-giving leading up to Christmas.
This is also the period when businesses are sending out corporate gifts to clients and couriering last-minute documents before everyone starts to wind down and take a well-deserved holiday break.
With such an influx, it can cause serious (and problematic) delays if you’re not prepared.
Common business challenges during the peak shipping season
Increased demand combined with technological challenges, inefficient couriering processes and labour shortages are just some of the most significant obstacles faced by a business trying to meet the surge of the holiday period.
Here are other related challenges businesses face during peak shipping season:
- Increased customer activity
E-commerce has been experiencing an upward trend over the last few years. It recently saw an exponential growth of 13.4% in the holiday season of 2021, with the trend expected to continue during this year’s peak shipping season.
However, it’s not just the E-commerce industry effected by peak season. Service-based businesses like real estate, hospitality, finance and legal services don’t slow down over the break, meaning that they still need to operate as usual – which often includes the sending of materials, documents and more.
Businesses need to prepare for these increasing volumes of orders to prevent significant delays.
- A halt in supplier operations
Most manufacturers limit their operations during the holiday season. For instance, planned holidays like Chinese New Year can significantly delay the shipping of inventory.
- Partnering with an inexperienced 3PL (third-party logistics) provider
If you decide to partner with a 3PL, be sure that they have the expertise, technology and experience in dealing with the peak shipping season. The wrong 3PL partner can cause major congestion in your order fulfilment process, leading to inaccurate inventory levels and slower deliveries.
The right courier and delivery company should always offer transparency, exceptional customer care and simplicity, including real-time tracking data, shipping and order fulfilment performance and more.
Express delivery is also a huge plus when it comes to finding a reliable partner.
4 tips to prepare your business for peak shipping season
- Inventory stock up
Start by identifying the products that are typically in high demand, especially during this season, so that you can stock them up in your warehouse or storage facilities before the peak hits. The last thing you want is a shortage of goods when there is high demand!
- Keep your customers informed
It is essential to communicate with your customers or clients to notify them about when they can expect their parcels to arrive. If you are unsure about shipping deadlines, always do your research on delivery and 3PL providers to find out when their peak season shipping deadlines are.
- Ensure reliable delivery and order fulfilment
Tighten up your logistics for holiday shipping as it can make or break the season for your business. According to one study, around 69% of customers are unlikely to purchase from a business again if a package is delivered late.
So, keep in touch with your order fulfilment, shipping, courier and express freight providers. Ask them about their shipping deadlines locally and internationally to help you avoid delays and plan around heavy traffic within the logistics industry.
- Partner with an experienced and reliable courier brand
As demand and sales increase, so will the need for reliable order fulfilment and shipping. Maintaining a good supply chain to simplify the shipping processes for your customers is essential for ongoing business success.
So, take your time to find a reliable logistics provider you can partner with for a smooth shipping process. This may mean conducting adequate research to find the most suitable logistics providers. Having a reliable partner takes the stress off your hands so that you can have time to focus on the passion for your business.
GT-EX is here to help you throughout the year
GT-EX is your reliable corporate courier for forward-thinking businesses looking for reliability, transparency and simplicity when sending everything from documents to packages and more.
We are an independent-owned company with a local fleet and a team of experienced logistics professionals, offering tailored courier and express freight solutions for over two decades.
“GT-EX has been a wonderful courier and freight company for us over the past 3 years. Their customer service is exceptional and I don’t say that lightly. They are only ever a phone call or email away and I’m NEVER on hold, it’s amazing.”
Drew, CEO Kubarz – 2022
From small packages and important documents to bulk shipments, you can trust that GT-EX is your business’ modern courier solution.
Courier the right way this holiday season
When it comes to your trusted corporate couriers, our team at GT-EX are here to help you. As an independent and industry-leading courier company, we empower businesses to achieve success by tailoring courier solutions to their needs.
Get ready for peak shipping season with your trusted courier partners at GT-EX – we build our services around your business.
For more information about our corporate courier services or to speak to us about your courier and shipping needs, visit our contact page here for all of our local offices.
Or you can submit an enquiry form below and we’ll get in touch with you shortly.
Email: cs@gtex.com.au
Phone: +61 2 8199 5500
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