The last quarter of the year presents a huge opportunity for retailers and ecommerce merchants; in fact, holiday shopping can account for up to 30% of a brand’s annual sales. It’s no exaggeration to say that peak season can make or break your entire year. 

We want to help you ‘make it.’  

To do this, we put together our first official Peak Season Playbook for Retailers and Ecommerce Merchants—a bundle of resources including a checklist, a Q&A with expert partners, an infographic, and an e-book—filled with tips to help you succeed this peak season.  

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Peak Season Inventory Planning and Fulfillment Strategies Checklist

It’s every brand’s dream to sell a ton of stuff, but that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare if you aren’t prepared to fulfill the number of orders that come with surges in demand. When preparing for peak season, keeping this dream alive boils down to two things: inventory planning and fulfillment strategies.

Use this checklist to stay on track with your inventory and fulfillment strategy planning.

Expert Advice on Marketing Strategies and the Ecommerce Experience Q&A

We asked three industry-leading ecommerce experts—Bemeir, SPS Commerce, and Trellis—for their top tips for how to approach your marketing and customer ecommerce experiences ahead of peak season.

Read on to see their answers to the top questions that ecommerce brands and retailers should care about.

Getting Labor-Ready for Peak 2023 Infographic

It’s time for peak season preparations, and one of the key categories to consider is labor. Looking back to 2022, according to Forbes, consumers spent a staggering $9.12 billion on Black Friday alone, overshadowed by a whopping $11.3 billion spent on Cyber Monday—even with heavy inflation.

With increased demand, expect to ramp up your labor game! Start planning your labor strategy for peak season now, especially for inventory operations and customer service.

Securing Your Tech Stack for Peak Season E-book

Running an ecommerce business takes a lot of technology. It can be overwhelming to say the least, especially if you don’t have your technology integrated seamlessly well in advance of peak season. You need to start your peak season preparations early to ensure everything runs smoothly when the holiday season rolls around.

If your technology could use some finessing, it’s not too late. Secure your tech stack now: review your technical needs, automate as much as possible, and leverage integrations to bring it all together.

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Conclusion

Despite the gloomy economic outlook throughout much of this year, peak season is coming like never before.

According to Insider Intelligence, holiday season retail sales are expected to grow 4.5% YoY (almost identical to last year’s 4.8% growth), bringing total retail spending to $1.328 trillion for the 2023 holiday season. That’s trillion with a ‘T.’ Furthermore, retail ecommerce is expected to make up 19.6% of total 2023 holiday sales, making peak season preparations even more critical for ecommerce brands.

The clock is ticking, so now is the time to put into action your inventory planning and fulfillment strategies, marketing and ecommerce experience, labor procurement, and technology preparations.