The holidays are a time for family, friends, and fun. But for businesses, it can be a stressful time of year. With increased demand and customers expecting their orders sooner, businesses have to work extra hard to make sure everyone gets their holiday gifts on time. Randall Castillo Ortega, an expert in import and export operations, discusses some of the shipping obstacles faced during the holidays and how to overcome them.
“The holidays are always a busy time for shipping,” says Ortega. “There’s a lot of pressure to get packages delivered on time, and that can lead to some challenges.”
One of the biggest obstacles Ortega sees is an increase in package returns. “People are buying gifts online more than ever before,” he explains. “And sometimes those gifts don’t work out. We see a lot of returns during the holidays.”
To deal with an influx of returns, Ortega recommends being proactive. If you know you’re going to have a lot of returns, build it into your shipping process. That way, you can handle them without disrupting your regular operations.
To overcome bad weather, which can happen at any time, Ortega recommends building flexibility into your shipping process. Don’t wait until the last minute to ship your packages. And consider using multiple shipping carriers, so you have options if one carrier is delayed.
The holidays are a busy time for everyone, and that includes those in the shipping industry. One of the biggest shipping obstacles during the holidays is increased demand. There is more demand for shipping services during the holidays, which can lead to longer wait times, higher prices, and even service disruptions. The best way to overcome this is to plan ahead and ship early.
Weather delays are another potential problem. Bad weather can cause delays in shipping, so it’s important to check the forecast before sending anything out. If you can’t avoid shipping during a bad weather period, make sure to allow extra time for delays.
Shipping companies often have limited capacity during the holidays, so it’s important to book your shipments in advance. This will help ensure that your shipment gets priority treatment and doesn’t get delayed or lost in the shuffle.
Holiday closures. Many businesses (including shipping companies) close for part or all of the holiday season. This can lead to disruptions in service, so again, it’s important to plan ahead and ship early.
As the holiday season approaches, retailers face a number of challenges when it comes to shipping. From increased demand and higher shipping costs to longer delivery times and weather-related delays, there are a number of obstacles that can stand in the way of a successful holiday season.
Fortunately, there are a few things that retailers can do to overcome these obstacles. By planning ahead and working with reliable partners, retailers can ensure that their shipments make it to their destination on time and without incident.
The first thing is to plan ahead. The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for shippers. To avoid delays, it’s important to plan ahead and book your shipping early. This will give you more flexibility when it comes to choosing shipping dates and routes, and it will also help you avoid rush charges from carriers.
Always work with reliable partners: When it comes to shipping during the holidays, reliability is key. Work with partners that you trust to get your shipments where they need to go on time and without issue.
With increased demand and potential delays, it’s important to be flexible when it comes to shipping during the holidays. If possible, build some extra time into your shipping schedule to account for potential delays. And be sure to keep your customers updated on any changes or delays so that they can adjust their expectations accordingly.