Peak season stressing you out? Keep calm and ship on! We’ve got a handy guide to make your holiday shipping better and brighter.
During this time of the year, American eCommerce sales are expected to hit between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion in holiday sales. Boxing Day 2023 is around the corner, and about a third of Canadians plan to shop for deals then. With numbers that big and happening right now, businesses must prepare for what the season will bring, sooner rather than later.
Small businesses can especially feel the heat of the holiday hustle since they often don’t have access to the perks the big ones get. Good thing you’re shipping with Sendle. You’re not alone in navigating the busiest time of the year and don’t have to do anything else other than what you love.
Feeling like you're missing anything ahead of the holidays? No sweat. We’ve made it even easier for you to keep on top of this Season’s Greetings.
Five tips to survive the holiday peak season
Here are some tips to make sure you’re on your A-game before Santa’s sled takes off. Because we know what it’s like to have your hands full running your business. Wondering how or when your orders will arrive to your customers is the last thing you want to worry about.
1. Keep extra packaging around, just in case
You can never be too prepared! And with the holidays being notorious for the buzz in activity, you’re bound to get through stock sooner than you’d expect. Keep a good variety of extra types of packaging for products of different quantities and weights. Customers may make repeat purchases when gift shopping for others, or you may need larger, sturdier packaging for cross-country or international deliveries.
2. Encourage earlier orders, or consider taking pre-orders
The last couple of weeks leading up to Christmas can see a surge in sales, so encouraging earlier cart check-outs via social media announcements or on your website may save you the headache of last-minute shipping. Another thing you can do to collect orders sooner is open up pre-orders and provide an estimated shipping timeframe. Since Sendle doesn’t require package minimums, you can keep the pre-order window open for longer, giving your customers the confidence to shop with no pressure and way ahead of time.
3. Remind customers of holiday shipping cutoff dates
It’s a good idea to give customers a heads-up about holiday shipping cutoffs to motivate them to get their orders in ASAP. Sendle’s 2023 Holiday Cutoff Dates for Canada, the United States and Australia are available for your reference. You may want to encourage orders to be placed a day or two ahead of shipping cutoff dates.
And for orders made at the eleventh hour? All hope isn’t lost–if you’re in the U.S., there are 2-day shipping and 3-day shipping services you can book through Sendle to deliver your version of a Christmas miracle.
4. Consider running special promotions
Free shipping can be the cherry on top to encourage customers to keep buying holiday gifts from your business. According to JungleScout, about 80% of consumers already expect free shipping when ordering a certain dollar amount of product. From that same report, around 66% expect free shipping for all their online orders.
Get into the holiday spirit without breaking the bank! Incentivize your customers to order more items to hit a minimum and get free shipping. Or, to amp up abandoned card emails, provide a free shipping offer for customers to click ‘Buy Now’ faster. It’s a win-win for holiday happiness with every purchase.
5. Include pre-printed return labels or instructions*
*Returns are currently available in the United States and Australia.
Returns can be a huge pain if you ship with the big couriers, and often cost extra. Lucky for you, Sendle Returns in the United States and Australia makes it super easy for customers to make returns, wherever and whenever it’s convenient for them. Save on the back-and-forth by including a pre-printed return label and instructions inside their order or in a confirmation email.
Generate return labels in minutes via your Sendle Dashboard. On the customer’s end, all they have to do is attach a return and drop their package off at their nearest drop off location.
Cheaper small business shipping to help you succeed
So there you have it! Peak season isn’t as scary when you’re prepared for the rush of holiday shipping orders. Keep these tips in mind this season for your small business to make more sales, reach more customers, and keep them coming back for more.
Friendly reminder that no matter the season or occasion, you’ll always be saving more and spending less on small business shipping with Sendle. That already includes:
- Free package pickup and breezy drop offs
- No hidden fees, just pay for what you ship
- 100% carbon neutral shipping at no extra cost
Merry Sendling and Happy Holidays!