During peak seasons, you may face many challenges in handling orders, logistics, clients, order delays, returns, and more. But every challenge has an opportunity and a solution you should consider.
In this guide, we will discuss the key challenges 3PL providers face during peak seasons in D2C brands and suggest the best strategies for adapting them.
10+ Strategies To Prepare Your D2C Brand For Peak Season 3PL Challenges
1. Focus On Early Forecasting And Meeting The Demand
You can work closely with your 3PL to identify peak seasons, demand needs, and trends. You can also use historical data to identify the critical peak seasons and the required product quantities you should meet.
By focusing on early demand, you will identify the essential inventory levels and order volumes that must be met. Therefore, it helps prevent stockouts and even overstocking.
2. Utilize Technology Integration
During and to analyze peak seasons, technology integrations play a crucial role. By utilizing modern technologies, you can get the following benefits during peak seasons:
- Real-time order tracking.
- Obtain inventory counts.
- Effective inventory management.
- Automated reporting capabilities.
- Analyze seasonal trends.
- Get more visibility of the business operations.
3. Optimize Warehouse Space
You can work collaboratively to adjust the warehouse spaces after you identify the demands and requirements you must meet during peak seasons.
By using the spaces efficiently during peak seasons, you can optimize the workload and develop smart slotting strategies.
4. Use Custom Packaging And Value-Added Services
According to Ninetailed, 77% of consumers recommend another brand based on the personalized service they obtain. Therefore, use these peak seasons to attract customers using personalized packaging or value-added services.
You can try out the below strategies to see effective long-term results:
- Hire 3rd party services for custom packaging.
- Obtain support for kitting services from your 3PL.
- Include festive or seasonal themes in your packaging design.
- Offer free gift-wrapping services for holiday purchases.
- Add thank-you notes or personalized messages inside the packages.
- Provide small complimentary items as a surprise for customers.
- Ensure eco-friendly packaging to appeal to environmentally conscious buyers.
4. Effective Staffing Strategies
Your 3PL may need more staff during peak seasons than average business days. Therefore, you can adopt strategies to hire cross-trained staff and even temporary workers during peak seasons.
5. Build Strong Carrier Relationships
Building effective relationships with shipping carriers gives many opportunities and benefits during peak seasons. They are as follows:
- Ability to get effective shipping options during peak seasons.
- Even when carrier capacity is tight, the carrier managers will help to handle the situations effectively.
- Ability to maintain tight and critical delivery deadlines.
- Capability to meet customer expectations on time
- Negotiate better shipping rates and terms for long-term cost savings.
- Gain priority access to carrier services during high-demand periods.
- Establish streamlined communication to resolve shipping issues quickly.
- Use carrier expertise to optimize shipping routes and schedules.
6. Maintain Transparent Communication
It’s essential to maintain transparent communication during peak season. Handling orders and managing strategies can have ups and downs during peak seasons. Therefore, transparent communication helps you manage your inventory and even face unforeseen situations.
7. Effective Shipping Strategies
During peak seasons, you must formulate the right shipping strategies and options. Therefore, it helps to save you costs when handling many packages. Here are some strategies you can adapt with:
- Remove economy shipping options or add alternatives.
- When you have multiple carriers to handle a single package, you will get the opposite to get the best and most affordable rate.
- When choosing shipping rates, ensure the delivery is fast and matches your requirements.
- Ensure that you will follow up on reliable shipping tracking methods and scans.
8. Plan For Reverse Logistics
It’s usual to get product returns during peak seasons, and the percentage may also be high. Therefore, you need to coordinate with your 3PL to formulate effective strategies.
9. Prepare Customers To Face Delays Every Peak Season
During peak seasons, customers will always experience delays in receiving their packages. Therefore, as a proactive measure, you can prepare your customers for order delivery delays.
Here are some strategies you can adapt:
- Transparently communicate about what you can do for customers.
- Provide only the essential and available shipping options while the customer places orders.
- Mention transparent order processing time.
- Have standard delay times or waiting periods to avoid bad impressions during peak times.
- If you provide customizations, make sure to mention the delivery times and delays they may have to face.
- Make customers aware of current supply chain issues.
10. Strategize A Plan For Peak Season Theft
During peak seasons, it’s normal to have package or product theft.
For example, the package may indicate that it was delivered to your customer and left by their porch or lobby. Therefore, if your client forgets to get the package on time, it may get stolen, and you may be blamed for the brand.
Hence, create awareness about package thefts frequently and provides order updates to clients.
11. Thank Employees, Partners, And Customers
During peak seasons, you may go wild handling orders, and your employees, partners, and customers may stay busy. But take a few minutes to motivate and thank them for their continuous support.
Appreciate your team and remind them of their hard work and allocated time. Without your team’s dedication, you may not be able to handle the orders, especially in peak seasons.
Next, appreciate your partners’ support in providing the raw materials, storing, shipping, and fulfilling the requirements on time. With them, you will be able to fulfill all the orders.
Finally, thank your customers for continuously supporting you. They trust you and place orders, so send a grateful note.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, 3PL faces many challenges during peak seasons. But it’s essential to be proactive and face all the challenges effectively. Using our suggested measures and strategies, you can also surpass these peak seasons with much profit.
Are you looking for the right 3PL who can effectively manage all the challenges during peak seasons? You can utilize 3PeeL as your matchmaker to find the ideal 3PL. Our network of 3PLs is experienced and knowledgeable, and they can help you grow your business despite the challenges you face.
