The holiday shopping season has arrived. It is probably not surprising that this is the busiest year for eCommerce businesses. A large portion of holiday shopping is still done in brick-and-mortar stores. However, online retailers are gaining a larger share with each passing year. The holiday shopping season can significantly impact the bottom line of any eCommerce retailer. If your company isn’t prepared to increase website traffic, orders, customers, and returns, holidays can be stressful and financially damaging. An expert print on demand service provider can assist when it comes to holiday preparations.
IMPORTANCE OF PRINT ON DEMAND ORDER FULFILLMENT DURING THE HOLIDAYS
You have an abundance of inventory, your marketing is festive, and your user experience is fantastic. It’s now time to fill your customers’ orders. Handling peak season print on demand fulfillment on your own or with a small team can be terrifying. As a result, outsourcing fulfillment to a reputable print on demand provider is the best decision to make.
1. Transparent Communication
The key to a successful holiday season is operational alignment, and the eCommerce order fulfillment piece is no exception. Choose a print on demand fulfillment company that values communication and transparency throughout the process, from receiving inventory to shipping orders and handling returns. Your print on demand provider wants to help you have the best holiday season. They will help you by getting your orders out quickly, but they need your help to do so.
If you are running a sales promotion, notify your provider to prepare for a surge in orders. You can also include any forecasting data, an expected percentage increase over normal volume, and any planned marketing.
2. Fast Shipping
With large eCommerce companies offering fast and free shipping options, customers expect fast and affordable delivery in just one click. They expect it especially during the holidays, when timeliness can make or break the gift-giving experience. However, with Amazon and other retail giants setting the standard for two-day shipping, it can appear daunting or impossible for smaller businesses to offer the same speed. The key to making fast shipping affordable is to use ground shipping, which costs a fraction of what air shipping does.
Working with a print on demand fulfillment provider who allows you to distribute inventory across multiple fulfillment center locations can save you time and money. Shipping from the eCommerce fulfillment center closest to your customer reduces the number of shipping zones. Moreover, resulting in faster shipping and lower shipping costs.
3. Handling Holiday Returns
The more you sell during the holiday season, the more returns you’ll have to deal with in the first few weeks of January. During the peak shipping season, 60 million packages are returned to retailers. Before the holiday rush begins, make sure you have a simple returns process communicated throughout your website. Work with your print on demand provider to determine whether and how they handle client returns. They should be able to assist you in automating the returns process in a timely and cost-effective manner. In addition, providing your customers with a shipping label and order tracking information once their return has been shipped. Make the return process as simple as possible for your customers.
WORK WITH A POD FULFILLMENT EXPERT
Whether this is your first holiday season at a rapidly expanding company or you need to switch fulfillment before the holiday rush. The sooner you contact a print on demand fulfillment expert, the better. There is a strong sense of urgency when it comes to finding a reliable fulfillment partner in time for the holidays. Thousands of other customers are also sending more products frequently. As a result, fulfillment centers are likely to experience inventory delays during the holidays. Send inventory as soon as possible and as frequently as possible. Remember, this is the busiest time of year for anyone working in logistics.
Be as proactive as possible if you want to work with a top eCommerce fulfillment company for holiday fulfillment. To get started, contact Fulfillplex and request a quote.