With the holidays just around the corner, retailers around the country are preparing for one of their busiest seasons of the year. The time for gift giving means that order fulfillment, returns, and shipping/receiving logistics will all be run through their paces in the next few weeks. The good news is that Christmas is a great opportunity for positive growth and improved customer relations, so let’s look at a few key points to keep your operation moving smoothly.
REVERSE LOGISTICS
It stands to reason that a very important part of good business during the holiday season is returns, or reverse logistics. It has happened to all of us. We get a gift for the holidays that may be too large, or the wrong color, or maybe we just aren’t that interested in it. Those who do not go for the “re-gifting” route are probably going to want a return. It may be tempting to think of a return as a negative, but again, these are great opportunities to work with new customers. Make sure that your return policy is easy to locate and understand. When applicable, ensure that return packaging is easy to use and does not require any extra work from the customer. We want to avoid making customers take a trip to the store to get packing tape during when they are trying to make a return. After all, a return is often for a similar item that is of different size or color or what have you. A new customer may potentially go through a quick-and-easy return process, get the item they desired, and be impressed by the process.
NEW DATA
With the increased volume of the holidays, there are also going to be opportunities to gather important feedback and data from an expanded customer base. If you do not already have one in place, now may be a great time to invest in a digital return tracking program or associated software upgrades. Consider simplified customer surveys on a clickable scale from 1-10, or similar satisfaction ratings that are quick and easy to use and don’t require typed responses. With increased sales and limited supplies, now may be an ideal time to begin using or update inventory tracking software. Modern inventory programs include algorithms for demand forecasting, which are especially useful during this time of the year. These projections will use historical data to generate demand expectations for popular products. Think of the holiday season as a time to find and test new solutions that may become key parts of your operation moving forward.
HELP IS OUT THERE
You don’t have to get through the holiday rush alone. Most businesses don’t, even the big ones. Third-party logistics often play a large and important role in meeting increased demand for both front and back of house operations. Outsourcing parts of your fulfillment process can expand your reach and bring in outside help to fill in the gaps of your distribution network for the holidays. This could take the form of adding new third-party fulfillment centers to your network, supplemental return labor, or additional employees for the basics of shipping and receiving. One of our primary goals at DMW&H is connecting customers with reliable third-party operations for the benefit of both parties, especially during high-volume periods like Christmas.