Optimise Your Shipping Strategy for Christmas Sales

It’s that time of year again!

Christmas decorations are lovely. But, having a well-optimised shipping strategy is one of the most vital aspects of ensuring a successful holiday season. Customers want assurance. They want to know that if they purchase gifts from your store, they will arrive in time to place them under the tree.

If you want to make the Christmas sales the most wonderful time of the year for your ecommerce store, implement these shipping strategies as soon as possible.

The Importance of Shipping During the Christmas Sales

Customers are looking for more than just a bargain during Christmas sales.

They will investigate the costs of delivering the products and when they expect to receive them. According to the Australia Post Delivery Experience Report 2021, 60% of survey respondents want certainty around the timing of delivery rather than how fast it can get to them.

This factor is essential during Christmas sales. You must incorporate in your shipping strategy how you will get gifts to arrive before the big day. You also need a plan to keep customers informed from checkout to delivery to meet their expectations and increase their chances of returning for the next holiday season.

The Challenges of Shipping During the Holiday Season

The number of people shopping during Christmas sales continues to increase yearly.

The 2021 Christmas Shopping Survey by Mirakl highlighted that the number of customers buying online during the holidays has doubled from 2019. It’s expected to increase again in 2022.

While these statistics are positive, it means you can expect to be busy during this period. But you won’t be the only one. Courier services will also be at capacity as they attempt to fulfil all the presents getting ordered. Your shipping strategy must incorporate cut-off delivery dates. It’s especially vital for express offerings for those customers who leave it to the last minute.

Tips for Optimising Your Shipping Strategy for Christmas Sales

Whether it’s a first-time customer or a returning buyer, if you can’t ship your parcel to them in time, they’re unlikely to purchase from you again. To be successful during the holiday season, implement these tips to optimise your shipping strategy and ensure everyone has a merry Christmas.

• Check the cut-off dates for delivery and advertise them on your website as soon as possible.
• Reduce manual processes by utilising the Interparcel Shipping Manager to organise all your orders in one dashboard.
• Use a multicarrier shipping solution to de-risk your business and choose suppliers that won’t negatively impact your brand.
• Add live shipping rates to reduce cart abandonment and give express shipping options to customers.
• Save time with the Interparcel Print Manager and get shipping labels direct from the platform instead of downloading PDF files.
• Use Smart Boxing technology to efficiently pack multi-item orders.
• Offer express shipping in the final weeks of the Christmas sales period.
• Utilise the Branded Tracking portal to keep customers informed of their deliveries at all times and reduce enquiries about the status of their parcels.

Start Optimising Your Shipping Strategy Today

Everyone wants that joyful feeling of opening a present on Christmas morning. By optimising your shipping strategy to ensure customers receive orders on time, you can give this gift to your buyers. You don’t need to do it on your own or spend a bunch of money on software to help you. Interparcel’s free multicarrier shipping solution has everything you need.

You can integrate multiple ecommerce platforms and accounts with one click to manage all your orders in a single-view dashboard. Time-saving features such as the Print Manager and Smart Boxing technology make shipping simple. There’s even Branded Tracking Portal that gives customers visibility on their delivery at all times. Don’t leave it to the last minute. Sign up for your free Interparcel account now!