How to Prepare for the Christmas Rush

Happy November everyone! You may think it is too early to start your Christmas preparation, but the earlier you start, the better in eCommerce, as 2024 is predicted to be one of the biggest years for online sales yet. Global sales are forecasted to increase by 3.3% compared to last year.

We want to help you feel as prepared as possible for the Christmas rush and this blogpost is going to give our top tips to help your business be ready for anything this winter. From marketing campaigns to product launches, from stock count to forecasting, it’s time to get well prepared for a busy end to Q4…

Stock Up Early

Ensuring you have enough stock to sell over Christmas is KEY, so make sure you stock up on all items (especially your best sellers) to ensure your customers avoid disappointment and you can reach the highest number of sales as possible. It is never too early to order your stock in, as two thirds of UK shoppers have already started their Christmas shopping by August.

Make sure you have data from last years sales to create forecasts of which stock you think will perform the best and ensure you order enough stock of these items. If you are launching any new products over the Christmas period then make sure you are stocked up heavily on these items too, and push promotions as much as you can.

Your Website

As this time of year may be your busiest, you want to ensure your website is running as smoothly as possible to ensure customers continue to shop on it (as customers are likely to end a transaction due to site speed/website errors). Your customers want their shopping experience to run as smoothly as possible, so making sure your website is clear, fast and easy-to-navigate is extremely important.

It is a good idea to include multiple payment options on your website too, to make buying your products as easy as possible. Buy now, pay later is extremely popular with Gen Z, and may be a great addition to your payment options to ensure you’re getting as many sales as possible.

Offer Discounts

With Black Friday and Boxing Day on the horizon, you want to consider which discounts you are going to offer to your customers this time of year. Discounts are a great way to get rid of slow-moving stock, as well as build loyalty with your customers.

You may even want to have a ‘loyal customer scheme’ in which your loyalist customers get higher discounts or even free gifts with their orders. This can help build a real sense of community and encourage people to make repeat purchases.

Marketing Campaigns

The Christmas period is the perfect time to create fun and engaging marketing campaigns. This can be anything from Christmas themed content for socials and your website, Christmas adverts, new product launches, collabs or even influencer and UGC content.

You may want to create a Christmas giveaway to get buzz around your brand and try and get as much reach as possible over your social platforms. Get influencers who resonate with your brand involved by sending them free items to promote, or even get them involved in your giveaway.

If you have got a new product launch, make sure to push promotions for this as much as possible. You can do this through UGC, influencer content or even discounts and free gifts with each purchase.

You want to make sure your content is as fun and engaging as possible this time of year, and really build a community with your customers to get them excited about your brand. This will help you boost your sales as much as possible.

Fulfilment and Logistics

Scared you won’t be able to keep up with the sales volume this Christmas? Maybe your brand is growing at a rapid rate, and you don’t have enough warehousing space? No need to worry. You can choose to outsource your warehousing and fulfilment and partner with a 3PL provider, who will store, pick, pack and ship all of your orders.

No matter how fast you grow, your chosen 3PL will be able to keep up with your orders and ensure your customers receive their items fast and safely. You will be able to offer fast and free shipping this Christmas if you partner with a 3PL and keep your customers as happy as possible. Your chosen 3PL will also handle all reverse logistics and can make your returns process as easy as possible for you and your customers this Christmas.

Why not work with GNOC, and we can ensure you that we can help your business thrive and grow this Christmas. You can reach more customers than ever before, reduce your shipping costs, scale your brand fast and provide the best service for your customers. Contact us today to find out more or fill out this short form letting us know your needs.