Over the course of the year, depending on upcoming holidays, festivals, and seasons, the shipping industry experiences increased demand. This is most apparent from August to October in the run-up to Christmas, known as peak shipping season. But during the Easter period, supply chains also often experience increased demand. This is due to more sales in preparation for the Easter celebrations, delays due to the bank holidays, and companies bringing in new stock ready for summer. Read on to learn how to best navigate peak periods for your business.
How to handle logistics peak seasons
While busy periods are often good for business and bring in extra sales and profits, they can cause a lot of stress or frustration if not properly planned for.
Higher demand means there are fewer available couriers, and so you may experience trouble getting your stock delivered. This may also lead to increased freight rates and transport costs.
Managing a peak period
To manage this, prepare in advance and try to ship items ahead of expected busy periods. Consider working with multiple manufacturers to accommodate demand so your products are being produced and shipped at a consistent rate. Insuring your stock is always a good idea so if there are any damages or losses during shipment you are covered. Also, communicate with customers and let them know if there will be delays, ideally before people have begun ordering in preparation for a specific holiday. Customers will be more forgiving of problems if they are informed and aware of projected delivery times.
With more sales comes less stock, and you may find yourself selling out of staple items that make up the core of your business, or new items which you invested money into marketing. This is especially prevalent with the ever-growing popularity of online shopping, where you can reach a much wider customer base and receive increased order volumes.
Keep close track of your available stock and flag any products as out-of-stock as soon as possible to prevent backorders. Conduct research to find out which products are more popular during specific periods, and order additional stock to accommodate this. If you notice a product selling much faster than you intended, order more stock before it has sold out to minimise any delays. Stay in touch with your suppliers so you, and your customers, can stay up to date with the status of your supply.
At MI Transport, we are ready to support your business during busy periods with our dedicated delivery and warehouse tracking systems specifically designed to cover all your courier and warehousing needs.
For more information on how MI Transport can support your business during peak, email us today at info@mitransportltd.co.uk