20 Sep
The holidays are often one of the busiest times for ecommerce businesses. Holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be quite stressful as businesses must meet customer demands.
Most eCommerce enterprises experience rapid growth in their sales pattern during the holidays, which is why investing in high-quality 3PL services is crucial.
Since eCommerce stores mainly operate online, they need a dedicated service to store and ship their goods on time. Such 3PL warehouses are essential to meet consumers’ demands during a peak season.
With Black Friday and Cyber Monday seasons coming up, here’s how eCommerce enterprises can prepare themselves for a successful season.
What Is Peak Shipping Season?
Due to the high sales, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are often called peak shipping seasons. During this time, order and shipment volumes significantly increase, leading to eCommerce sites to higher order fulfilment and a busier returns process.
Peak seasons fall during holidays such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, as many customers want to purchase gifts, buy new goods for themselves or take advantage of great sales incentives.
During this peak season, supply chains experience a drop in efficiency due to disruptions. This can make it difficult for eCommerce brands to keep up with sales demands, manage their inventory and fulfil high volumes of orders. Shipping services get busier than usual during this period as they work hard to deliver packages on time.
Statistics Highlighting Shopping Patterns During Black Friday and Cyber Monday
One of the best ways to prepare for the upcoming peak season is by looking at previous statistics and sales trends. This will allow eCommerce stores to visualise just how many sales they can accept and the shipping services they need.
Here’s a look at key statistics highlighting what could predict shopping trends in the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday seasons.
Black Friday Spending Went Beyond 9.8 Billion USD in 2022
The holiday season is one of the best shopping times because various sales and promotions entice consumers. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are considered the ultimate time to purchase the items you want, and the statistics are a great representation of this.
Every year, there has been a steady increase in the sales generated during this season. In 2022, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales exceeded 9.8 Billion USD, showing a 2.3% increase from 2021.
With this statistic, eCommerce businesses can plan ahead to accommodate the growing demands for goods. Suppose your business has seen an increase in interest throughout the years, or you’re a new company trying to increase sales. In that case, paying attention to this statistic is important to help your company grow during the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday seasons.
Retail Sales Grew By 12 Per Cent Across All Categories
This statistic is great for emerging eCommerce businesses and established enterprises because it shows that every sales category can experience a boom during the upcoming peak season.
In 2022, retail sales increased 12% in all categories, with apparel getting the highest increase (19%). If you’re an apparel business, this figure allows you to increase sales through advertising and investing in quality 3PL warehouse solutions.
With these features, you can satisfy customers and grow your business. For eCommerce spaces dealing with non-apparel products, you can still use this boom and advertise your products to improve sales.
Cyber Monday Is the Biggest Shopping Day for eCommerce
If there’s one season where eCommerce businesses can experience a major sales boom, it’s Cyber Monday. During this holiday, online stores have experienced record-breaking sales far higher than any other day of the year.
In 2022, Cyber Monday accounted for $11.3 billion USD in sales, an increase from 2021’s $10.7 billion USD figure. With this figure, we can also estimate even more considerable growth this year. eCommerce stores have an excellent opportunity to market and incentivise consumers to take advantage of major sales this Black Friday and Cyber Monday season.
More People Choosing to Make Purchases on Mobile Phones
More and more people purchase their goods on mobile phones during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday season. In 2022, 73% of sales were made on mobile phones during this peak season. This marked an increase from the 71% in 2021.
E-commerce sites can increase their marketing efforts online to take advantage of this sales interest. With the number increasing steadily every year, we can also expect to see more online purchases this year.
One of the best ways to meet this growing demand is by investing in premium 3PL services that will help you convert sales faster by delivering goods to customers quickly.
What Are The Top Concerns During Black Friday & Cyber Monday Season?
As mentioned before, peak shopping season can cause major disruptions for shipping warehouses. These disruptions affect eCommerce businesses that use these services for inventory purposes.
The best way to avoid such issues is by identifying them and planning an alternative. Here are some common concerns during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday season.
Order Volume
One of the biggest issues during peak season shipping is the volume of orders. Due to major sales, customers are more likely to make more purchases during holiday orders.
With online shopping making it easier to place orders, eCommerce companies should expect a high order volume.
Often, these orders can build up and become overwhelming to ship out. To avoid volume issues, preparation is key. Optimising your shipments and prioritising supply chain resilience is an excellent way of combatting volume issues and sending out orders as soon as possible.
A quality 3PL service will help you keep track of your inventory and provide accurate logistics that help you map out deliveries. These features are crucial to stay on top of high-volume orders.
Season-Specific Sales
As we’ve mentioned, high volume is one of the major disruptions during a peak season. However, season-specific sales can worsen this issue as consumers are willing to purchase more during this particular period. This is why eCommerce stores need to implement proper techniques to manage seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Without proper management, this season can become extremely chaotic and overwhelming for online businesses, leading to devastating sales consequences. The best way to manage Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales is by investing in the right 3PL service.
3PL companies like Meteor Space take the challenges of fulfilment off your hands and place them into the care of experts. These experts are trained to deal with heavy order volumes so your customers can get their orders on time.
Speed of Delivery
Order fulfilment and shipment speed matters more than ever during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday season. Here are some factors that can impact the rate at which you complete your orders:
- Delays from Third-Party Manufacturers: If your business relies on other manufacturers or uses dropshipping, know that these services will also increase demand during peak season. Without proper management, you could experience severe delays or shortages. Make sure to discuss with your services beforehand how your deliveries will be handled to minimise disruptions.
- Shipping Delays: Common postal and courier services experience record-breaking business during Black Friday and Cyber Monday season. They may not have enough staff to fulfil all shipping orders, which can cause delays for your business. Choosing the right 3PL can help deliver your order to customers on time with no delays.
With these obstacles in mind, eCommerce companies should plan and prepare accordingly to complete orders on time. Consumers are much less forgiving of delays during peak season, so it’s crucial to make arrangements that ensure your order is delivered on time.
Partnering with 3PL services like Meteor Space will help you navigate this chaotic season. Our services provide excellent order fulfilment services that will help you stay ahead of the curve this Black Friday/ Cyber Monday season.
Order Accuracy
Speed and order accuracy go hand in hand because consumers want you to get their order exactly right, especially during the peak holiday season when getting returns is hard.
This means your order fulfilment should maintain accuracy throughout the process to eliminate dissatisfied customers. You may need to go beyond manual fulfilment to maintain speed and accuracy. Investing in 3PL services will help you keep things organised and get the order out on time.
Unreliable 3PLs
If you partner with a 3PL, ensure they have the technology, experience and expertise to handle peak shipping season.
Choosing the wrong 3PL service can cause disorganisation in your order fulfilment process. This can lead to inaccurate order processing, missed shipments, slower deliveries and inaccurate inventory checks.
A good 3PL partner should always provide visibility and transparency into all supply chain management features, including storage details, real-time inventory information, fulfilment and delivery performance and much more.
If unsatisfied with your current 3PL service, consider switching as soon as possible to prepare for the upcoming peak season. Choosing technology-based 3PL, like Meteor Space, can help you get orders out quickly and ensure a smooth peak season.
Choosing A 3PL to Manage Black Friday & Cyber Monday Demands
While most small eCommerce sites can make do with manual fulfilment, they might run into some problems during peak seasons. During periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you must streamline the order processing to ensure customers are happy and return their business.
Manual fulfilment also puts a hard cap on how many orders you can process as there isn’t enough manpower to meet demands. With the statistics we highlighted above, eCommerce sites can expect even more traffic this upcoming Black Friday/ Cyber Monday season, so opting for a good fulfilment service is crucial.
Small-scale and local fulfilment might also not be sufficient to provide the help you need during peak seasons. Such partners often provide a contract with an established minimum and maximum amount of orders they can manage per month. While they may offer options for higher order counts, they might not have enough manpower.
Additionally, these services might not have the technology and logistics required to serve high volumes. If you have the best peak season experience, opt for 3PL services built on technology and expertise. They will effectively minimise stress during peak season while delivering customers a pleasant shopping experience.
How Meteor Space’s 3PL Service Can Prepare You For Black Friday & Cyber Monday
If you’re looking for a quality 3PL service that streamlines order fulfilment, choose Meteor Space. We offer many features designed to help eCommerce stores through peak shopping seasons.
Our technology-based services provide excellent management and organisation programs to help you stay on top of your inventory. You can also access an easy-to-use web portal, efficient pick and pack fulfilment, fast shipping and much more.
At Meteor, we employ a customer-first approach, so we understand the importance of top-quality customer service. Here’s a look at some great features you can avail of at Meteor Space.
Flexible Storage Space Options
Flexibility is key during Black Friday and Cyber Monday seasons. Depending on your order volume, Meteor’s storage space offering can be scaled down or up to meet your demands.
Our warehouse boasts over 200,000 square feet of storage space to ensure ample room for any inventory. No matter the size of your eCommerce stores,
Meteor 3PL can provide enough space for any client. We can adjust and adapt to your specific requirements, help you grow overall sales and provide your customer with a great shopping experience.
Better Inventory Logistics
Successful order fulfilment relies heavily on inventory management and logistics. With a technology-based 3PL like Meteor Space, we provide accurate data and management software that helps you stay organised.
With our state-of-the-art warehouse management system, you can keep track of all your inventory and make sure it goes out on time. You can access precise inventory projections based on the type of order you’re sending out.
We also handle all deliveries and shipments, refilling your inventory and much more. With Meteor Space as your 3PL partner, you never have to worry about running out of stock or experiencing any delays in the supply chain.
Same Day Dispatch
Since customers are far less forgiving of delays during the holiday season, opting for a 3PL that prioritises speedy fulfilment is necessary. At Meteor, we take great pride in our accuracy and speed.
Our dedicated warehouse team takes orders as late as 8 p.m., allowing them to be delivered and dispatched on the same day. Our accurate order fulfilment process leaves no chance for mistakes or returns.
If your eCommerce store has urgent orders to send out, this feature is crucial. We offer same-day delivery through the island of Ireland and the UK to ensure customers have a pleasant experience.
Knowledgeable and Friendly Experts
Our team members provide excellent order fulfilment services and expert advice and guidelines to help navigate busy shopping seasons. Our highly trained and knowledgeable team are always available to offer a helping hand when it comes to logistics and inventory services.
At Meteor, you will find transparency and full knowledge of everything that goes behind the scenes to get your order ready for shipment. This allows you to stay current with how your orders are processed. Our experts are available 24/7 to help you manage the supply chain and stay on top of your order this Black Friday and Cyber Monday.