15 Dec How a 3PL Logistics Partner Can Help Your Business During the Holiday Season
The period from Black Friday to Christmas Eve is by far the busiest time for retailers and eCommerce businesses. With the surge in orders, shifts in product demand and inventory management challenges, many businesses find themselves overwhelmed and struggle to keep up with the holiday rush. Having said that, 3PL logistics companies can help streamline daily operations and can play a critical role in the success of your business during the holiday peak.
Here are the top three ways a 3PL provider can help your business navigate through the holiday season:
Additional warehouse space
In light of the sudden uptick in orders, many companies spend the months of November and December scrambling for warehouse space. Often times, these businesses realize that they simply do not have the infrastructure to house products while maintaining their ability to provide efficient and accurate order fulfillment. Fortunately, many 3PL providers are willing and able to accommodate seasonal storage and fulfillment services. In fact, due to the rate of which Cyber Monday and eCommerce as a whole is growing, many 3PL providers are offering more flexible, on-demand seasonal warehousing services.
Minimize mistakes and ensure customer satisfaction
One of the most critical aspects of ensuring a successful holiday season is the ability to provide reliable, accurate shipping and order fulfillment. Afterall, the most frustrating thing a consumer can experience is a gift arriving late or receiving the wrong product altogether. Luckily, 3PL providers are equipped with the industry’s most advanced WMS technology, which provide the ability to automate order fulfillment, track shipments and update inventory status. Whether you run a small business and are heading into your first holiday season or a seasoned retailer with years of experience, you can be certain that entrusting your order fulfillment to a 3PL provider during the holiday season will make for a hassle-free experience.
Preparation and planning
For new and small businesses, the process of planning and projecting for the holiday peak is challenging and quite consequential. It often involves complex data analysis and comprehensive strategies to manage inventory, sales earnings and future projections. As you might expect, the preparation starts long before the Christmas lights go up. Planning for the holiday peak often begins months in advance and requires a great deal of time and effort. Allocating some or all of this preparation to a quality 3PL partner can take away some of this burden and allow you to head into the holidays with the confidence that your business is well-prepared. Allowing a 3PL to help with this process can also allow you to focus your time and effort on other critical aspects of holiday season success, such as customer service.
The holiday season presents many challenges, but if managed correctly, can also lead to opportunities for growth. Businesses that can successfully navigate through the seasonal chaos will build trust with their consumers when they need them the most, which will lead to happy holidays and a profitable new year.