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How Retailers Can Cope With The Upcoming Peak Season

Home > Post >How Retailers Can Cope With The Upcoming Peak Season

How Retailers Can Cope With The Upcoming Peak Season

Ecommerce sales have risen sharply in recent years, and are set to be worth 6.3 trillion US dollars globally by 2024. While there’s such a thing as click and collect, the vast majority of items people order online will be sent through the post, whether that’s locally or internationally through airfreight.

If the growing ecommerce trend wasn’t enough for online retailers to try and keep up with, peak season which runs from October to January each year can also bring its fair share of challenges.

Specifically, we’re talking about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the run-up to Christmas and then the Boxing Day sales. Plus, any other sales or promotions you decide to hold that will require all hands on deck to get everything shipped out promptly to your customers.

Here are our top tips on how to ensure everything runs smoothly for your ecommerce business during peak season.

Plan Ahead

Any existing business should use previous experiences of the peak season to their advantage by planning ahead ideally weeks if not months in advance, using both pre and post COVID figures as guidance. 

Steps businesses may need to take include:

  • Ensuring your website can handle a sudden surge in extra traffic (you may need to purchase more bandwidth if you’ve suffered any previous outages/gateway timeouts)
  • Hire extra staff to help manage an influx of orders and minimise staff holidays during this time for smaller businesses
  • Reduce gift wrapping services or any other non-essential time consuming process especially for Black Friday/Cyber Monday
  • Stagger promotions so that orders have enough time to be processed
  • Warn customers ahead of time that there may be delays in sending out their orders due to high demand
  • Avoid adding any new lines of stock that will only add to your workload, especially as non-sale customers may expect a faster delivery even during peak season 

Get A Reliable Courier On Your Side

Trying to navigate peak season is challenging enough without having an unreliable courier service to deal with. After all, even if you do your utmost to dispatch items quickly, problems with the delivery will ultimately reflect badly on your company. It will also create further admin not to mention stress for your business at the busiest time of the year.

If you’ve previously had an unsatisfactory experience with a courier delivery, and things don’t seem to be improving, now is the time to head elsewhere. Of course, couriers also have their busy seasons, which is why an efficient approach from your business will make all the difference. 

Things to look out for when choosing a courier include:

  • A UK based call centre so you can speak to an actual human during office hours
  • Tracking as standard to keep both you and your customers in the loop about the status of their delivery
  • Options to have a same day or next day delivery for any items that cannot wait 
  • Locations across the country so a vehicle is always nearby to pick up and transport orders
  • Open 365 days a year, meaning less likely to encounter delays with the Boxing Day sales
  • A secure warehouse to store customer orders in while in transit
  • Excellent customer service (nobody needs their fine china hauled over a fence, even if they did get it in the sale!) 

Psst: All of the above is what we offer our clients here at Nationwide Couriers! 

UK Courier Service For Retailers

At the time of reading this post, it may be some time until peak season kicks in, or you may be in the thick of it. Either way, as well as making your operations as streamlined as possible, you also need a reliable courier on your side to cope with current or future demand.

Luckily you’re in the right place for that, as here at Nationwide Couriers we offer a same day courier service for the retail industry. We have a network of over 2,500 delivery drivers, meaning we can always get your items where they need to be.

We have locations in Birmingham, Northampton, Nottingham, Leeds, London, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, and many more!

All we need is your postcode and the delivery postcode to get started. From there, you can select whether you need the item ASAP or whether you’d simply like to pre-book a delivery. We’ll then give you available vehicle options, along with a price and time frame quotation.

Take a look at our service and get in touch on 0115 9865276 if you have any questions. Or scroll to the top of the page to access our free instant quotation service.

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How an Urgent Same Day Courier Can Help a Shopfitting Company Deliver Seamless Retail Re-Fits Before Christmas 2024

How We Helped a Shopfitting Company Deliver Seamless Retail Re-Fits Before Christmas 2024

urgent same day courier

The run up to Christmas isn’t just busy for retailers—it’s crunch time for shopfitting companies too. But how can an urgent same day courier help? As stores prepare to dazzle shoppers with festive displays, shopfitters work tirelessly to revamp spaces, upgrade fixtures, and create the perfect shopping environment. We recently partnered with a leading shopfitting company, providing them with an urgent same day courier service that ensured their projects ran smoothly during this critical period.

 

Here’s how we supported their mission to transform retail spaces in time for the holiday shopping season.

Table of Contents

The Client’s Challenge: Fast-Paced Deadlines and Unforeseen Logistics Hurdles

Shopfitting projects in the lead-up to Christmas are high-pressure operations. Retailers need their spaces ready on time to capitalise on the holiday rush, leaving little room for delays. Our shopfitting client faced several challenges:

  • Tight Deadlines: Each re-fit project had to be completed within strict timeframes to avoid disrupting store operations.
  • Complex Supply Chains: Coordinating deliveries of fixtures, fittings, and materials to multiple locations was a logistical challenge, especially with last-minute changes and unforeseen delays.
  • Time Critical Deliveries: From bespoke shelving to signage, materials often needed to be delivered within hours to prevent project delays.

With a packed schedule and so much at stake, they turned to us for reliable, fast, and flexible urgent same day courier support.

urgent same day courier for retail refit

Our Solution: Flexible Same Day Logistics Tailored to Shopfitting Needs

We stepped in as a logistics partner, providing customised solutions to meet the unique demands of the shopfitting industry

1. Rapid Delivery of Fixtures and Materials

Our same day courier services ensured that essential items—from small hardware pieces to bulky furniture—arrived at retail locations exactly when needed. By coordinating with suppliers and the client’s project managers, we minimized waiting times and kept each re-fit on schedule.

2. Multi-Site Coordination

The shopfitting company was working on multiple retail spaces across the region. We organized efficient delivery routes to ensure that materials reached each site promptly, even on the busiest days. Our ability to adapt to changing priorities helped the client respond to last-minute requests without missing a beat.

3. Real-Time Communication

With real-time updates and a dedicated team on call, we provided the transparency and responsiveness the client needed to stay in control of their projects. This included tracking deliveries, rerouting in response to changing timelines, and managing urgent requests with precision.

4. Special Handling for Delicate Items

Many shopfitting materials, such as custom glass panels, lighting fixtures, and decorative pieces, required extra care during transport. Our experienced drivers ensured that every item was handled with the utmost care and delivered in perfect condition.

Results: Projects Completed On Time and Stress-Free

Thanks to our tailored logistics support, the shopfitting company achieved seamless project execution across all locations. Key outcomes included:

christmas
  • On-Time Re-Fits: With our reliable same day delivery, all projects were completed within their scheduled timeframes, enabling stores to open their doors to festive shoppers without delay.
  • Reduced Downtime: By eliminating delivery bottlenecks, we minimised downtime for the client’s installation teams, allowing them to work more efficiently.
  • Enhanced Client Satisfaction: The retail stores appreciated the smooth, timely completion of their re-fits, strengthening the shopfitting company’s reputation as a reliable partner.
  • Improved Flexibility: Our ability to respond to last minute changes allowed the client to adapt to unforeseen challenges without compromising their tight schedules.

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