Smart businesses are getting prepared right now for the seasonal spike in sales activity that they expect like clockwork around the Christmas holidays. One of the most critical reasons to get a head start is knowing that you’ll have the right merchandise on the shelves in order to avoid lost sales and disappointing your loyal customers.
That’s why you should be looking to order fulfillment companies so that you can implement the best strategy immediately, freeing you from expensive headaches and added stress from being crunched for time later on.
Six Reasons to Plan Holiday Order Fulfillment
There are many reasons to outsource order fulfillment during the holidays. Waiting too long to look for a cost-effective order fulfillment solution is a dicey proposition. The best option is to seek out a company that can meet or exceed your expectations rather than waiting and potentially incurring penalties later on. You’ll be thankful you planned ahead—and the gains your business makes will be even sweeter.
Here are six reasons why you should plan your holiday fulfillment now.
To Manage Inventory
The first big hurdle around seasonality is the volatility of managing inventory. The combination of a massive influx of customers, hot items and huge sales can deplete stock very quickly, so even when factoring in the lead time needed for replenishment, being able to fulfill your inventory needs well in advance is critical. This goes for e-commerce as well as for brick-and-mortar stores.
To Manage Customer Expectation
A customer who can’t find that special item they’re looking for will simply visit your competitors next door. Aside from causing them disappointment, you may be losing future business from them, which you may never win back.
To Maintain Customer Loyalty
If you don’t manage your customer expectations, it could also lead to lost sales. Out-of-stocks, overstocks and returns are costing retailers over $1.75 trillion according to a study by the IHL group.
To Acquire New Customers
The holidays also bring a rapid influx of new customers. If they have a great experience with your brand, there’s a huge chance that they will return, thus increasing your market share.
To Reduce Fulfillment Errors
What about “Murphy’s Law”? A greater volume of merchandise moving between stores means dealing with a whole lot more moving parts. If there are errors in fulfillment, this places an additional cost on you that can be multiplied many times over during the ultra-busy Holiday sales period.
To Keep Things Running Smoothly
The ultimate purpose of beginning planning for holiday order fulfillment right now is to keep everything running smoothly as possible, thus providing a seamless experience for customers.
Outsource Fulfillment to the Right Company This Holiday Season
As an order fulfillment company, APS Fulfillment, Inc. offers a wide range of flexible options that enables you to gain freedom over your own time. This is of great importance to e-commerce retailers with specialized needs. Experience matters, which allows us to handle any sudden changes much more readily. APS also stands out by offering 24-hour turnaround times for service orders. If you’re a web-only company, utilizing e-commerce fulfillment companies, you have even more to gain: APS Fulfillment isn’t too expensive, won’t make you cede control of your operations and customers won’t even know you’re outsourcing fulfillment. For more information about our services, you can contact us by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (954) 582-7450.
Also read: How to Prepare for the Peak Season Fulfillment Rush
