Every year, retailers are working to offer their customers an edge with their holiday shopping, and this year is no different. It’s slowly created a near-impossible-to-compete atmosphere as customer expectations are continually at an all-time high. But there are some things you can do to strengthen your supply chain and maintain great customer service during this busy season.
eCommerce Expectation #1: 2-Day Shipping
Amazon has made competitive ecommerce shipping turnarounds untenable—particularly when you’re needing to move so much freight during the busy season. More boots on the warehouse floor is a great way to get help, but training a new staff takes time. Instead, consider a turnkey solution by working with lumping teams that can help you move freight quickly and have the expertise needed to start right away.
eCommerce Expectation #2: Buying What They Want When They Want It
Customers generally aren’t willing to wait for your product to be in stock if it’s not available when they want it. Instead, they’ll find something that’s good enough from one of your competitors. This is why having accurate consumer demand forecasting is wildly important—especially in the holiday season.
But if you do find that you’re behind on your inventory management, there are some shortcuts you can take to get product into the hands of your customers right away. Rather than building your inventory up in your warehouse before placing it on sale, consider using a just-in-time methodology and utilize cross-docking services to bypass the warehouse and ship your product direct to your customer’s home to speed up the process.
eCommerce Expectation #3: Customizable Products
The demand for one-of-a-kind products has skyrocketed in an age of social media, and these days ergonomics is king, giving custom solutions practical applications as well. While it’s impossible to custom make each of your products for clients, there are options you can offer during checkout that allow customers to feel more in control of their final product. Then, all you need is access to rework services in your warehouse for a team to re-kit your existing inventory into these new configurations. The customer will be none the wiser.
eCommerce Expectation #4: Regular Tracking & Delivery Updates
Direct-to-consumer supply chains are all about communication. Some customers aren’t going to have as reliable of locations for package drop-offs, and there’s not much you can do to solve that. But you do have to the capability to provide supply chain transparency to help customers ensure their availability when the package arrives. Or you can offer real-time GPS tracking at an additional cost. All you need is to slip a tracker into the box before shipping. Not only will these options help provide a great customer experience while in transit, it can also help you track down any supply chain mishaps and correct course quickly.
eCommerce Expectation #5: A Good Experience for Their Loved Ones and Workers Too
The 2022 customer still wants to receive their products in a timely fashion, but it is quickly becoming more important for consumers to feel certain that workers are being treated well too. Working with a 3PL with the right values can help you honestly tell customers that all team members are treated with fairness in a safe working environment. For many, this can be a huge selling point that gives your products an edge over the competition.
The holiday season comes with a lot of stress and high expectations (especially in retail), but working with a 3PL partner can help you up your game. If you’d like to learn more about how beefing up your supply chain can improve customer service in the busiest time of the year, reach out to our team.