Friday, August 28, 2015

Planning for 2015 Holiday Shipping

During the dog days of summer, it seems as if the holidays reside far in the distant future.  The reality is that your preparations for the holiday season should be well under way by now!  Just a few of the steps you should be working through are:

  1. Forecasting 2015 holiday sales.
  2. Assessing your current inventory against the forecast, translating that into inventory requirements, and beginning to coordinate with your suppliers.
  3. Planning your logistics management to keep a close eye on your inbound product.
  4. Determining how you’ll store and manage that inventory when it arrives.
  5. Defining your sales strategy
  6. Monitoring key holiday shipping dates and costs – and their impact on your strategy and bottom line:
A commonly understated component in your sales strategy is shipping to your consumers – how fast will the order get to the customer, and will shipping be discounted or free?  Will delivery speed and cost vary based on the customer and or order size?  Will you offer discounted or free shipping when you follow up on abandoned online shopping carts as an incentive to close the sale?  In addition, what are your options to make the delivery, and ensure the customer’s experience is positive and their expectations are met?  No one wants a replay of the 2013 holiday season, with gifts arriving after the big day!

Holiday Shipping

Your fulfillment partner can help you ensure that you meet your shipping deadlines, all the while still balancing the highest degree of customer support and flexibility.  They can be a key partner in crafting your inventory and shipping strategies.  Have that discussion now, and sleep better tonight!

Vision Consumer Products Fulfillment has decades of experience and industry expertise in consumer products fulfillment services.  No matter who your customer is, we treat your customer as our own.  We know what makes a raving fan out of an individual customer, as well as what makes a business partner trust you with their business.  Call or email us to learn how.  We’re certain we’ll be the best fulfillment warehouse partner you have ever had!

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