How E-Commerce & Logistics Companies are Planning for Peak Season

The peak season is filled with an array of the biggest e-commerce holiday shopping events like 11.11 Singles’ Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and Boxing day. 

Last year, the US had a 71% increase in e-commerce parcel volume during Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) sales. Europe also experienced an 86% increase in e-commerce shipment volume during the BFCM sales. Whereas in Southeast Asia, there was an 82% surge in e-commerce volume during 11.11 (Singles Day). 

Although it is a great opportunity for e-commerce companies to boost their retail sales, the peak season can be challenging. We observed delays in parcel delivery time during the peak season last year across the US, Europe, and Oceania. 

How can online retailers plan better for this year’s peak season? We spoke to top e-commerce and logistics players who shared how they are planning ahead for the busy period. Read on to find out! 

1. Blibli on Market Research and Collaboration

(Image Source: Jakarta Post)

We asked Stephanie Santoso, Vice President of Trade Partnership from Blibli on how they ensure consumers get the best shopping and delivery experience for this peak season 2021. Blibli is one of the leading online marketplaces in Indonesia that has claimed a unicorn status. 

Santoso shared how conducting intensive market research is vital before coming up with their merchandising strategy. From understanding what is in demand to recruiting those sellers in time for the peak season, Blibli has been preparing for the peak season since this August. 

Another crucial area to ensure a successful peak season is collaboration across internal teams. The holiday season is one of the largest e-commerce events of the year, which requires careful coordination and planning across teams. From hiring, product launches, to system upgrades, cross-functional alignment is key to ensure a successful peak season campaign. The peak season can be a huge growth opportunity; during the planning phase, it is therefore important for trade partnership, marketing, and campaign team to analyze and identify growth levers across brands, SKUs, and channels to increase their traffic, new customers, CTR, and conversion. Each of these must be mapped out against the sales target before creating a thorough action plan that will meet those targets.

2. Parcel Delivery and Retail Giants on the Peak Season Recruitment Drive

n anticipation of the upcoming parcel boom, parcel delivery and logistics giants are competing to hire seasonal workers. Companies such as DHL, UPS, and US Postal Service began their recruitment early to ensure customers are able to receive their parcels in time for the holidays.

Retail giants such as Walmart and Sainsbury’s also aim to hire over 20,000 employees for the holiday shopping rush. This year’s holiday season is expected to be busier with customers looking to make up for the restricted celebrations they had in 2020.

3. Ninja Van on Technology and Customer Experience

(Image Source: Ninja Van)

Singapore-based logistics unicorn, Ninja Van has also started to prepare for the end-of-year peak season. Chief Operating Officer, Joel Ong shared:

“Significant investments that we have made across our entire SE Asian network mean that we are well-prepared to take on 2021’s peak year-end delivery season with the ability to process and deliver parcels in the fastest way possible while meeting the shifting demands of consumers amidst this pandemic. Ninja Van’s automated systems, fleet capacity and warehouses across the region, are underpinned by the scalable processes that our proprietary technology grants us.”

Ensuring a great customer experience is key to win customers, even beyond the peak season. Joel shared how they are able to identify and resolve issues across the entire operation chain with their Fantastic Service Recovery (FSR) approach. In addition, they also implemented an AI-powered social messaging platform, NinjaChat to allow customers to manage their orders and directly contact customer service. 

2021: Another record-breaking year for e-commerce?

2020 was a record-breaking year for e-commerce growth, do you think this holiday season’s online sales will surpass last year’s? 

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