Getting Ready for Peak Season

By Bob LeGere

Q4 is well underway and peak season is right around the corner.

After years in eCommerce fulfillment at ShipBob, the amount I have learned about shipping perishable products in my first year at Coldcart has been surreal.

One thing remains the same whether your product spoils or not – creating a solid foundation throughout the first three quarters is the best way to set yourself up for success. What that looks like in perishable:

Staffing Management: There is nothing less fun than seeing a huge influx of orders and revenue with no one to fulfill them. Make sure your team understands what they’re in store for, and that there is extra help ready to go when the time comes.

Technology: While too much can be overkill, make sure you have secured the right systems for your business. Everyone knows Q4 can be unpredictable. If you find yourself annoyed by system inflexibility (or related workarounds) during normal months, those same annoyances turn into crises when volume is highest – which is also when the details matter most. The more configurable and agile your systems are, the better prepared you will be when unexpected situations occur.

Vendor Relationships: Building strong partnerships with vendors is essential. It is likely you will have surprises come up. Those surprises don't care about your legal terms and SLAs, and neither does your marketing team. Each of your partners will need to go above and beyond. Make sure you keep them informed and prepared for the rush. A few encouraging words never hurt either!

Carrier Diversification: We all have our favorite carrier. But, especially during peak season, more is merrier. Ensure you can pivot toward or away from a certain carrier at any given time. Especially when shipping perishables, the best carrier for every order changes in real time. Let the data speak for itself.

Believe it or not, if you have these four areas covered, you are better prepared than most this holiday season! 🚀🎁