It’s estimated that consumers will spend in the region of £1billion on Black Friday this year. When you add in Cyber Monday, and the general pre-Christmas shopping rush, this is the most profitable time of year for most, if not all, retailers.
However, it’s also the time of year when logistics and supply chains face their biggest test. Orders ramp up dramatically, shipments of raw materials and components fill up warehouses, and packing and dispatching becomes a race against time.
This is the moment when you discover how resilient and flexible your logistics really are.
Take a look at our Black Friday logistics review checklist to see whether logistics and supply chain issues could be leaving your open to potential cancelled orders, angry customers, and other profit-draining issues.
Do you have the people and space to manage stock? For eCommerce and traditional retailers alike, Black Friday is fundamentally about shifting stock. When the sales were coming in thick and fast, did you have enough space to house all the goods you expected to sell? Did you miss out on any orders because of space issues? Were your team able to pick, pack and dispatch orders fast enough to meet the surging demand?
Was your distribution network able to flex up to meet demand? With flash sales, promotional offers, and last-minute bargains creating high volumes of sales, your delivery promises can quickly fall by the wayside. And once you fall behind, you’re in a world where mistakes, complaints, and bad reviews will start to scuff your brand’s reputation.
Are your people safe? With a warehouse filled to bursting with extra stock, the potential for accidents increases. It’s one thing to train your own team in best practices, but can you be sure you have the time and resources to hand to bring temporary staff up to speed at short notice? It only takes one slip, or one misjudged shortcut through the unloading bay, for someone to get seriously injured.
If you answered ‘no’ to any of the above, don’t panic! Velocity offer a range of flexible logistic support options for businesses like yours, and we’re here to help.
Our outsourced logistics offer your business flexibility. Our global transport network can collect, consolidate and import your components and parts from anywhere in the world. And with substantial warehousing space on hand, we can receive, store and despatch whatever volume of goods you require.
During periods of high volume, such as Black Friday, we can flex up to provide more space at short notice. And with our team of highly trained and experienced warehousing operatives, we’ve always got the people on hand to safely, securely and meticulously unpack, repack and forward your stock, using the latest equipment.
Is it time you put your logistics in the hands of experts? Contact us today, and let’s make 2022 your best yet.