Every Retailer Should Know These Tips on Preparing Warehouse Inventory for Major Rushes

Your products can’t exactly fly off the shelves if they’re not on the shelves in the first place!

The solution rests in the supply chain: always knowing where your products are, and how they are going to get to your retail store (and/or your online store). Here’s how to maximize profits during your the peak season.

Plan Early
It’s not just putting the tinsel up after Halloween. It’s launching your holiday promotions earlier (like emailing your customers an exclusive Boxing Day promotion that allows them to begin shopping on Christmas Day, while they digest their turkey). What else?

• Start hiring extra staff early, so you have time to train them
•  Review your past sales data so you can respond to the higher holiday demand
• Where possible, delay the final customization of finished goods until the demand is certain
• Predict consumer behaviour using historical data, market research and social media

Know YOUR Supply Chain
You should have full supply chain visibility to meet your goals and to be prepared in the event of surprises. The farther you can see back into your supply chain, the more efficiently you can use courier services in Toronto to schedule cost-effective delivery solutions and optimize shipping routes.

Flexibility and responsiveness are impossible when you don’t know whether your products are in the factory, in transit, or at the warehouse; once you do have your inventory, consider systems like radio frequency identification (RFID) to track and locate products.

Expedite Shipping With Courier Services in Toronto
With the proliferation of online shopping, customers expect the correct product to be delivered to them within a very short time frame. Giant retailers like Amazon already have the advantage of a vast network of distribution centres and speedy delivery options. If your fulfillment will take place onsite, consider using software to optimize your order picking, packing, and shipping. Why is shipping so essential? A recent study indicates that free shipping and specified delivery times and costs were the most important factors when buying online. Work with your transportation courier services in Toronto to discuss moving your freight.

Create Consistency With Your Online Channels
The reason McDonald’s is so successful is because of the consistent customer experience, whether you’re in Shanghai or Scarborough. Customers expect this in their shopping experience, whether they’re on a PC, tablet, phone, or in your retail store — their expectations for browsing, customer service, price, and delivery are the same.

What works against you is the fact that customers can and do research a wide variety of competitors on their mobile devices, so if you want to connect with your shoppers, use social media for added visibility and take advantage of up-sell opportunities at the checkout.

If you’re looking to cut shipping costs, click the following link to contact us.