Peak Season Planning Toolkit for Ecommerce Brands
Your Resource for Managing Seasonal and Viral Volume Surges During the Holidays and Beyond
DownloadWith 2024 already halfway over, ecommerce brands and sellers of all types, shapes, and sizes are united by one common goal: preparing for the fast-approaching holiday season sales rush.
This year, we've revamped our annual Peak Season Playbook to include an infographic, a quarterly calendar planner, a business purpose field guide, and a labor management tip sheet—all to help you prepare for demand peaks throughout the year, not just in Q4.
With the expansion of ecommerce, consumer expectations, and the rise of social media-fueled trends, Q4 is likely not the only time of year when you need to have a plan for handling increased demand. Unexpected viral demand can spike at any time, meaning savvy retailers and ecommerce merchants must develop strategies ahead of volume surges that can arise at any time, often without warning.
If this level of preparation sounds daunting, don’t worry; we've got you covered with our comprehensive Peak Season Planning Toolkit.
Included in 2024's Toolkit:
Infographic: Top Stats Across All Sales Seasons
Across all categories of retailers, the holiday season may not be as important as you might think. In 2023, the fourth quarter only accounted for 26.3% of total retail sales in the United States—translating to only 1.3% higher than if sales were distributed evenly throughout the year.
Check out this infographic of top stats across all sales seasons of the year for a more comprehensive view of the retail rhythm.
Calendar: Ecommerce Essentials Quarterly Planner
Whether you're preparing for the holiday rush or gearing up for a viral product launch, having a game plan is key. Does planning your whole year in advance sound a little intimidating? It doesn’t have to be; mapping out the big picture of your annual roadmap before getting into the nitty-gritty is a game-changer.
Use this quarterly calendar planner to help you break down your goals into bite-sized, manageable chunks so you can stay on top of your game all year long.
Field Guide: Unleashing the Power of Purpose
Having a strong grasp of your purpose, the "why" behind your business, is about more than just being the best in the field; it’s about the core values and motivations that keep you running every day. This not only helps align company goals but also drives engagement, inspires employees, and resonates with customers.
This field guide explains how to define your purpose to ramp up your business growth—leading to enhanced customer loyalty, operational success, and ability to handle the challenges that come with demand surges.
Tip Sheet: Mastering Ecommerce Labor Management
Navigating volume surges in ecommerce—whether it's the holiday season, a major promotional event, a viral product launch, or unexpected market changes—is a lot like surfing: thrilling but challenging. Building a flexible, agile, and responsive labor strategy is essential to staying afloat amidst undulating demand.
This tip sheet breaks down the labor management basics you’ll need to ride the waves of demand surges so your business can thrive in any market conditions.
Download your Peak Season Planning Toolkit
This year, we've revamped our annual Peak Season Playbook to help you prepare for demand peaks throughout the year, not just in Q4. This toolkit features an infographic, a quarterly calendar planner, a business purpose field guide, and a labor management tip sheet.Download the Toolkit
2023 Report
Despite a gloomy economic outlook throughout much of the year, peak season is coming like never before, with experts forecasting total retail spending to reach $1.328 trillion for the holiday season. In 2023, we put together our first official Peak Season Playbook for Retailers and Ecommerce Merchants—a bundle of resources filled with tips to help you succeed this peak season. Explore this combo pack featuring a checklist for inventory and fulfillment planning, a Q&A about marketing strategies and the customer experience, an infographic on labor management, and an e-book about securing your ecommerce technology stack.