Planning and Managing Peak Returns Season
Overall, holiday’s sales this year appear to have been robust, with Mastercard reporting total retail sales were up 3.4% year-over-year for the period of November 1st to December 24th. Online sales represented 15% of the total, with total e-commerce sales up 19% over last year.
And now a new year is upon us and the flood of holiday returns has begun, with UPS estimating that 1.9 million return packages entered the UPS network on National Returns Day (January 2nd ). That figure represents a 26% growth in returns over 2018. The increase highlights the continual rise of e-commerce and the resulting surge in returns via delivery services.
So, with holiday sales booked and your attention now firmly set on managing peak returns season, let’s take a moment to identify areas you can audit this year to prepare for next year’s peak returns season.
Topics : Supply Chain Logistics, holiday, freight, fourth quarter, returns, reverse logistics
It is easy to get spooked this time of year. The weeks leading up to peak season can be scary, but peak will be even scarier if you don’t have the right partner. The holiday season is almost upon us and customers are ready and will test the mettle of your supply chain. It’s time to iron out any holiday shipping and logistics frustrations and avoid unpleasant surprises of what is likely your busiest time as a business. Your vendor and, subsequently, your vendor management practices are your first line of defense against the three great customer reputation killers. Here's why solid, consistently performing vendors are worth their weight in GPS-tracked gold.
Topics : Supply Chain Logistics, holiday rush, holiday, freight, fourth quarter
Even if your fulfillment center doesn't have Santa's workload to contend with, they'll still have to work a little peak season magic to keep the peak influx of orders. Often customers are unavailable and gift-giving timelines are non-negotiable, your supply chain needs to be backed by a strategy that holds up to scrutiny and stress to remain viable. As with most supply chain planning, it's in your best interests to be proactive, not reactive, so here are a few last to-do list items to cross off before ecommerce marches into the busiest weeks of the year
Topics : Supply Chain Logistics, holiday rush, vendor, holiday, Holidays
The holiday season is almost upon us and customers are waiting to test the mettle of your supply chain. It’s time to iron out any holiday shipping frustrations now to avoid unpleasant surprises of what is likely your busiest time as a business. Your vendors—and, subsequently, your vendor management practices—are your first line of defense against the three great customer reputation-killers. Here's why solid, consistently performing vendors are worth their weight in GPS-tracked gold.
Topics : Supply Chain Logistics, holiday rush, holiday, freight, fourth quarter
Even if your fulfillment center doesn't have Santa's workload to contend with, they'll still have to work a little holiday magic to keep the upcoming influx of holiday orders. As customers travel and gift-giving timelines become non-negotiable, your supply chain needs to be backed by a strategy that holds up to scrutiny and stress to remain viable. As with most supply chain planning, it's in your best interests to be proactive, not reactive, so here are a few last to-do list items to cross off before ecommerce marches into the busiest weeks of the year.
Topics : Supply Chain Logistics, holiday rush, vendor, holiday, Holidays
