The holidays are ending, and the first weekend after New Year’s Day is traditionally a huge shopping weekend for last-minute holiday shoppers. While the number of in-person shoppers at malls has decreased for the past few years, it is more exaggerated this year. COVID-19 had significantly reduced in-person shopping for Black Friday. In fact, eCommerce sales have outpaced projections by 4-6 years. Things are looking good for eCommerce sales, but a lot of stress comes with it.
Last-minute holiday shoppers can be stressful to deal with, but it’s doable. If they want their holiday packages to arrive in time for Christmas, you have to have them packed and shipped out quickly. There are also those who have plans after Christmas and still need gifts. These individuals are stuck buying products in the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Because everywhere is closed, they risk finding gifts that can’t be delivered in time. Businesses also struggle to get it all done in the middle of a pandemic when restrictions and rules can change at any time.
Thankfully, it’s not impossible. Here are some tips on handling last-minute holiday shoppers.
Batch Shipping Will Go A Long Way
Automation is a fantastic way to save time when dealing with last-minute orders. If you know which carrier service to assign and package type for each order, do this to multiple orders at once. That way, more things can get sent out much faster.
When shipping in bulk, automation is vital. The orders must be automatically configured—automation eliminates the need to manually configure orders. You can use shipping rules to automate the processes. A shipping rule allows you to apply different actions to your orders based on your defined parameters.
Even in the most clutch, last-minute, down-to-the-wire moments, some companies offer same-day delivery!
Be Aware Of Holiday Deadlines
As this is a critical time for shipments, the pandemic means that shipping times during the holidays will be longer than usual. That means that while many express services will be able to stay on track, others will have issues with standard Ground and Priority delivery services alike.
Be Ready For Returns from Last-minute Holiday Shoppers
It’s usually rather hectic to deal with holiday returns, but more so these days since it’s all online. Thankfully, it’s possible to prepare well for this. Returns are simply a way of life in the eCommerce world, much like they were back when shopping in person was still prevalent. A whopping 69% of customers were projected to do holiday returns last year.
Pick A Budget-Friendly Service That’s Quick
Believe it or not, shipping doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg where urgency is involved. Express shipping that is more on the affordable side, whether for you or your customer, will go a long way.
If it’s almost unbelievably cheap or seems too good to be true, seek a second opinion. Take a good look at the company you plan to work with; read reviews, if possible.
Last-minute Holiday Shoppers Need Your Products
Holidays are a great time to reconnect with family and exchange gifts. However, sometimes people still forget a thing or two in a rush, leading to last-minute shopping. Thankfully, businesses can easily deal with last-minute shoppers by being ready for returns, picking a quick service that’s budget-friendly and going into batch shipping.
Need to get same-day delivery done for last-minute holiday shoppers? Let Flashbox help you out! No matter what business you’ve got going, we have a same-day delivery solution for you. Contact us today!
