Optimising B2B Shipping in Festival Seasons: Strategies for Success
India is a big country with many different cultures and traditions. All the festivals we have provide great opportunities for businesses because people buy a lot of things during these times.
For online retailers, festival times can be both exciting and tricky. On the one hand, they see the potential for skyrocketing sales, but on the other, nationwide B2B shipping in festival season takes a toll on them.
Plus, more and more consumers are using their phones or tablets to shop online these days. Mobile devices are responsible for 51% of online sales volume in India, according to a recent study. People can easily look at different products, compare prices and shipping timeframes, and buy things wherever they are. The delivery window plays an important role here, as market research proves that slow delivery has pushed 63% of buyers to switch retailers. It makes the competition even tougher for eCommerce businesses, especially during the festive rush.
Online sellers may face a lot of operational difficulties, like delayed shipments, order fulfillment errors, and inventory mismanagement in the frenetic holiday season pace.
Therefore, they need a strategic approach to peak season planning to allay these risks. Businesses need solid systems and must anticipate potential bottlenecks beforehand for that.
Scroll further to know how you can cruise through the festive frenzy more effectively, keeping your customers happy and maximising your profits in this bustling period.
Impact of Shipment Delays on B2B Businesses
Late deliveries are more of a deal-breaker than you can imagine! A study revealed that 69% of customers are far less likely to shop from an online retailer again if they don’t receive their ordered item within two days of the promised date.
In fact, according to Conveyco, about 41% of Indian consumers are ready to pay an extra charge for same-day delivery, and nearly 24% are willing to pay an even higher amount to get their packages delivered within a 1-2 hour window of their preference.
You’ll be surprised to know that, as per a global survey, about 32% of online shoppers abandoned their carts only due to long shipping times. This impatience is unfortunately even more intense in consumers during festival times. A new consumer loyalty survey by Voxware says that 86% of respondents say that their expectations relating to on-time delivery are unsurprisingly higher in the festive season.
Moreover, delays in delivery impact your brand’s reputation, as customers are quick to leave a bad review the moment you falter. Although you and your shipping partner may be facing genuine troubles in cutting through the festive rush and landing orders, the disappointed buyer will not be able to understand this, and their negative action can affect your eCommerce business adversely.
However, the pressure of prompt B2B shipping in the festival season, like Diwali, is equally crushing for both businesses and shipping companies. It’s a busy time, and heavy shipping requirements make it difficult for your eCommerce shipping partner to fulfill orders quickly.
So, the best way out of this supposed ‘Pandora’s box’ is to prepare well in advance for fast B2B shipping in festival times. It gives ample time to the cargo shipping company as well to schedule and make successful deliveries for your business, resulting in satisfied end customers.
Strategies to Handle Festive Season Delays
Festive buzz is the perfect propellant for building your brand and spiking those sales figures. You just need to be wary of potential hiccups in deliveries during this period to avoid any delays and losing on this golden opportunity. So, let us help you strategise to ace B2B shipping in the festival season.
1. Shipment Insurance Cover
When you sell things online, sometimes packages get lost, broken, or stolen during transit. This happens more often during busy times like festivals. Getting insurance for your shipments can help you secure your packages against any such mishaps.
You don’t need to insure everything, just cover the valuable items or those that might get damaged easily. This way, you won’t lose money if something goes wrong, and you can enjoy selling in the festival season too.
2. Real-time Package Tracking
Let customers know where their package is. Knowing package whereabouts makes them happy and stops them from asking you all the time. So, look for a delivery service that sends real-time emails or text messages with order updates to your customers. It’s even better if you can check on all your orders in one place, no matter where you sold them.
Therefore, picking a shipping company that can integrate all your marketplaces and simultaneously allow you to track the shipping status of your orders whenever you want brings a lot more efficiency in B2B shipping during the festival season.
3. Prepare For Bad Weather
Sometimes, bad weather can slow down deliveries. This happens more in some parts of India. To help with this, give yourself extra time. If the delivery company says they need two days, tell your customers it might take three or four. This gives you some wiggle room if there are delays.
4. Make Returns Easy
Oftentimes, people want to return things they buy online. This could be because they changed their mind or the delivery was late. Make your return process simple. One in ten shoppers leaves without buying because they don’t like the return rules. Make your shipping, return, and refund policies easy to understand. This helps keep customers happy and more likely to buy.
Write clear rules on your website about how returns work. If you can, let people return things without asking why. It builds trust with your customers. They’ll be more likely to forgive you if there are problems in the future.
Preparing for the Festive Season
You add more stars to your brand’s reputation when your customers are satisfied with timely and prompt deliveries. Here’s what you can do to keep them as happy during the busy festive season, too:
Pick a Reliable Shipping Company
Choose a delivery partner that’s known for being on time. Look for ones that have a history of getting packages to people within the promised delivery timeframe, especially during the peak festive periods.
Keep Track of Stock
Always know how much of each product you have. Use inventory management software to help you count your items more accurately and quicker. This way, you won’t overstock things or run out of popular items.
Streamline Order Processing
Find ways to pack and send orders quickly. Use automated processes to help print labels and manage intricate details of shipping. The faster you can get orders ready, the sooner they’ll reach your customers.
Tell Customers When to Expect Their Order
Let your customers know when their order will arrive. If something changes and it will be late, tell them right away. It keeps them in the loop, and they can trust you more due to the transparent communication. You might just save a bad review flying your way by keeping things clean!
Check How Well Deliveries Are Going
Keep an eye on how your delivery companies are performing. If you notice they’re often late, think about collaborating with a different shipping firm.
Get Ready for Busy Times
Plan your actions and resources ahead of time when you’ll get lots of orders, like during holidays. You might need to hire more people or buy more products to be ready.
Train Your Staff Well
Show your workers how to handle orders quickly and correctly. The better they understand their job, the fewer mistakes they’ll make, and the faster orders will go out.
Case Study: Successful Management of Festive Season Deliveries
Amazon India, one of the leading eCommerce giants, also faces enormous logistical challenges during the festive seasons, especially during Diwali. It has millions of orders to fulfill and hence needs to pace up its shipping game to ensure timely and accurate deliveries, maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. The retail king is also known for its incredibly fast deliveries and needs to keep up with its reputation as well.
The challenge:
The hurdle eCommerce companies like Amazon and others face during the biggest Indian festival, Diwali, is a potential increase in order volumes by up to 4-5 times compared to regular days. This surge requires proper management of inventory, warehousing, transportation, and last-mile delivery to avoid delays and disappointing customers.
Their Combat Strategy:
Enhanced Inventory Management
Preparation: Months before the festive season, Amazon begins stocking up on high-demand products based on predictive analytics and historical data.
Strategic Warehousing: Amazon takes advantage of its extensive network of Fulfillment Centers (FCs) across India to ensure products are closer to the customers, reducing delivery times.
Collaborations with Local Sellers
Empowering Sellers: Amazon encourages local sellers to stock up and utilise Amazon’s warehousing and logistics services to meet the surge in demand.
Training Programs: The company conducts training for sellers to optimise their inventory and manage orders efficiently during peak seasons.
Technology and Automation
Automation and AI: Amazon’s FCs employ advanced robotics and AI to streamline the picking, packing, and sorting processes, increasing efficiency and accuracy.
Real-Time Tracking: They implemented sophisticated tracking systems to provide their buyers with real-time updates on shipment status, which makes the process transparent and reliable.
Expanded Delivery Network
Third-Party Partnerships: Amazon collaborates with third-party logistics providers to expand its delivery network and have coverage in remote areas.
Flex Delivery Programs: The company even introduced flexible delivery options, such as Amazon Flex, which allows individuals to deliver packages during the festive rush.
Customer-Centric Innovations
Prime Membership: They offer benefits like faster delivery options and exclusive deals to Amazon Prime members, doubling up on customer satisfaction.
Festive Deals and Discounts: The cherry on top is the attractive deals and discounts they introduced to manage demand and ensure a steady flow of orders.
Results
Timely Deliveries: During Diwali 2023, Amazon achieved a 95% on-time delivery rate, much higher than the industry average. Almost 50% of all pan-India orders from Prime members got delivered within two days or earlier.
Customer Satisfaction: Their proactive approach got them much appreciation and positive feedback from happy customers, highlighting the swift delivery and product availability.
Sales Growth: Amazon India reported a 30% increase in sales during the festive season because of its successful strategic planning and execution.
Market Leadership: As they smoothly and effectively managed their festive season deliveries, Amazon India solidified its position as a market leader in the eCommerce space.
Conclusion
Busy shopping times, like holidays, can be tough for all stores, whether online or in buildings. But if you plan ahead using the tips we talked about, you can avoid the problems that catch most online stores off guard. The most important thing is to make sure your way of shipping products and keeping track of your inventory works well. If you prepare well, you’ll be ready for the busy times when they come and make impressive sales out of it.
