Are you ready for post-peak season? 3 things to consider

The madness of holiday shopping may be over, but post-peak can be just as chaotic if you aren’t prepared. Here are 3 things to consider in your post-peak season.

1. Returns

Return processing is one of the most difficult challenges for many eCommerce vendors after the holiday season. According to Statista, return deliveries are expected to cost $550 billion by 2020.

For some retailers, return rates can reach as high as 30% during the holiday season, leaving them with a logistic nightmare in their warehouses.

Although the holiday peak might be over, factoring in returns processing is a critical part of operations at the beginning of the year. A staffing company can help you manage your post-peak workforce and make returns processing efficient for your business.

2. Scaling down

The post-peak season can be a difficult time to gauge your workforce needs. With the potential of a high volume of returns and the unpredictability of production, it can be difficult to know how many workers you need each day.

To avoid making post-peak feel like a guessing game, work with a trusted staffing partner. They can help you predict and scale up or down based on your needs so you don’t have to worry about the heavy lifting.

3. Preparing for next year

One of the most critical, but often overlooked, part of post-peak is starting to plan for the next peak. It may seem far away now but you should be taking stock of how this year’s peak went.  Make a list of this year’s successes and failures. Take note of the busiest days, weeks and months, along with which days you used the greatest (or fewest) amount of workers. It’s also a good idea to start a calendar to note when you had your largest production levels so you can accurately forecast for the coming year.

Use our post-peak checklist to determine the success of your season and to start preparing for next year.

Staff Management | SMX can help you navigate your post-peak season and beyond. Contact us today to get started 

About the Author

About Casey: Content marketing manager, frequently reading, aspiring chef, failed plant mom, connoisseur of tater tots, beauty products and airplane food.

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