Now summer is over and the children have gone back to school, eCommerce retailers are busy getting ready for Christmas.
Most retailers will start planning for Christmas as soon as the previous one is over but it is never too late to take action which will help your business cope with an influx of sales connected to the holiday. Some consumers will already have started shopping for the festive period, although sales won’t peak until November and December.
The busiest day of the year for online shopping in the UK last year was November 29, which was Cyber Monday. Traditionally an American retail milestone held on the Monday after Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday sales are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and this year it will fall on November 28.
This gives retailers just over two months to make sure they have all the right preparations in place for a rush in online sales. So what should eCommerce retailers be doing right now to make the most of the golden quarter?
- Stock up on extra products
For many businesses, the run up to Christmas will mean ordering more stock to cope with the increase in demand. However, this can be a challenge for online retailers who either don’t have their own warehouse facilities or have very limited space in which they can store stock. Using a third party logistics (3PL) provider like AP+ can be an ideal solution for companies with this dilemma. AP+ provides secure storage for stock in a purpose-built warehouse and offers picking, packing and distribution services too. This means AP+ can fulfil orders from customers and send the products straight out using the most cost-effective carrier. For many businesses, this makes much more financial sense than renting additional warehouse space for the run-up to Christmas and then having to hire temporary staff to handle the increase in orders.
- Pay attention to trends
Looking at last year’s retail performance at Christmas can help retailers prepare for the coming months. Identifying when trade started picking up can help businesses make sure they are adequately prepared to meet demand. Looking at which types of products were most popular in previous years can also help companies gain a better understanding of the habits and behaviours of their customers. As well as analysing their own performance and past behaviours, retailers should also make sure they keep an eye on the competition and stay up to date with trends in their sector. Are there any new products their rivals are stocking? What items are the trade press tipping as the hot new thing for Christmas 2022?
- Simplify your returns process
When it comes to online shopping at Christmas, many customers are attracted to retailers with a simple and easy to use returns process. With consumers buying so many products, usually as gifts, they want to know they can easily send it back and get a refund if the item they order doesn’t meet their needs. Reprocessing items can be costly and time-consuming for businesses, especially if your staff are already stretched to the limit coping with their existing workload. Outsourcing your returns management can help cope with this additional demand. AP+ offers a returns management service as part of its end-to-end 3PL services. Our staff can check that the items which have been returned are still in saleable condition and repackage them if necessary.
- Prepare your website
One of the most important things an eCommerce retailer can do to prepare for Christmas is ensure that its website is ready to cope with a surge in traffic and additional orders. Adding extra features like a live chat customer service option or increasing the number of ways people can pay for products will also improve the experience for potential shoppers and make them more likely to buy from a business.
To find out more about AP+ and how it can help your business this Christmas, contact our team today.