Logistics and Christmas: critical issues to be addressed
An international study conducted by Ipsos on consumer habits revealed that over 50% of respondents focus on Christmas shopping between November and December. A statistic like this is useful in explaining how logistics is put to the test in the last months of the year. But what are the critical aspects that need to be addressed? Let us look at them together:
Increase in orders. A peak in sales can undermine the management of the warehouse and create important problems, such as difficulties in managing stocks and procurement of the goods to be supplied, delays in the processing of orders and shipments.
Packing. Packaging of the goods to be shipped is a delicate aspect that requires time and care: working under more pressure than you are used to can result in approximate and unsafe packaging that can expose the products to damage during transport, generating difficulties and customer dissatisfaction.
Returns logistics. The higher the percentage of conversions, the higher the likelihood of receiving returns requests. If not managed properly and swiftly, this is an aspect that might have a negative impact on stocks and the warehouse.
How to adapt logistics to Christmas shopping
According to a survey conducted by Google among European and North American consumers regarding online shopping habits for Christmas, 36% of respondents state that they have clear ideas about the gifts to buy as early as May, while a third of those who buy the online gifts do so well in advance of the holidays. This phenomenon, which is expanding from year to year, is now known as the “Anticipation Effect”. It is therefore essential not to be caught unprepared by the increase in sales and to adapt your logistics in advance to the volume of purchases. Here are the main aspects not to be overlooked to ensure efficiency while maintaining high standards and competitivity.
Optimizing warehouse management. For efficient logistics in the period close to Christmas, adequate management of stocks and the handling of goods in your warehouse is required. The increase in demand that is recorded at this stage of the year represents an important opportunity to maximize profits, but requires having a higher quantity of items available than usual (storage). We therefore need extensive and functional support infrastructure, adequately trained personnel, suitable tools for controlling goods in outbound stock and any returned goods. One solution might be to outsource your service, relying on specialized companies able to offer not only storage suitable for your goods, but also software capable of optimizing the processes related to picking and warehouse organization in all its aspects, thus allowing you to allocate valuable resources to other tasks.
Automating order preparation. In order to manage the peak linked to Christmas shopping effectively, lean, agile and swift logistics are required. You must be able to adapt to the needs of the moment and to deal quickly with the preparation and shipment of items purchased by users. In this context, shipments by express courier become fundamental. These are particularly requested close to the holidays and mean that it is necessary to intervene with rapid processing cycles, from preparation of the packaging to delivery. Using software directly connected to e-commerce represents an efficient way for the rapid fulfillment of an order, such as the automatic generation of data relating to the tracking code, shipping labels for single or multiple packages.
Customizing the packaging. Part of the positive feeling you get when you receive a gift or an order is represented by the packaging. Those who buy Christmas gifts on the web are therefore attentive to the offers of online stores that provide the possibility of choosing packaging that is not only safe but also personalized. One solution to keep the level of your service high is to rely on experts in the sector, who choose the most suitable packaging for the type of goods and propose options capable of making unwrapping a truly special moment.
MBE is by the side of companies in logistics management during the period of Christmas and seasonal peaks, with customized solutions in line with your needs, from warehouse storage to packaging, from shipping orders to return logistics. Contact your reference MBE Center, choose the right solutions for you to free up time and resources to devote to improving your store.
