The Do’s and Don’ts of Holiday Shipping

Imagine it’s the last week of December. How are you spending it?

Calm and cuddled up in front of an open fire? Or scrambling to answer customer emails as you work to make right last-minute shipping issues?

With the holidays fast-approaching, the last thing you want is to get caught off-guard with shipping logistics. For the sake of customer satisfaction and your sanity, plan ahead.

Prepare now with these do’s and don’ts to keep your customers (and employees) feeling merry and bright.

Don’t Underestimate Your Supply Needs

If last year’s holiday shopping trends are any indicator of what’s to come, an overwhelming majority of consumers will turn to online retailers. As you work through inventory needs to match demand, keep your shipping supplies stocked and varied.

From tubes to corrugated boxes in all shapes and sizes, Staples’ mail and shipping solutions are easy to bundle and budget for with newly lowered pricing on select items. If your business offers gift wrapping services as part of the customer experience, Staples also offers gift and retail boxes.

Do Prep Customer Communications

As a business owner, there are only so many things you can control once a shipment leaves your warehouse. This is why it helps to anticipate potential problems and how to address them.

For example, customers are hyper aware of shipping times, especially around the holidays. If someone doesn’t receive an order by their projected delivery date, how do you handle it? The same goes for a product damaged in transit.

Think through possible holiday shipping scenarios and how you would expect customer support to respond. In optimizing your website experience for conversions, it might also help to display holiday shipping policies or updates on the homepage and checkout cart for the sake of transparency.

Don’t Ignore Consumer Demands

Sustainable packaging is a growing request among eco-conscious consumers, often playing into final purchasing decisions. And while there are cost factors to consider in transitioning away from plastics, doing so could have a positive impact on conversions.

Whether you use mailers made from 100% recycled paper or compostable packing peanuts, these more sustainable solutions can be promoted at checkout to boost brand loyalty and trust. You can also dip your toes in the water by offering sustainable packaging as an opt-in at checkout for an additional cost. This allows you to gauge customer interest with first-party data and better plan to transition at scale down the road.

Do Your Research on Different Shipping Providers 

Who you partner with for shipping depends on your needs and budget. Are you shipping domestically or worldwide? Will you be dropping off packages or require pick up options?

At Staples, we offer a wide range of solutions to choose from using FedEx, Purolator, DHL, Xpresspost Envelopes, or regular Mail. Plus, Staples Professional Pack & Ship solutions take shipments to the next level with easy bulk ordering and expert advice to help guide you towards what makes sense for your business.

You can’t fully control shipping logistics, but you can mitigate potential issues by partnering with providers you can trust. From supplies to delivery, learn more about everything Staples has to offer at the Solutionshop.