How our customers prepare for Black Friday and the holiday season rush

It's October and online retailers are getting ready for the year-end rush. Black Friday and the holiday season are just around the corner. After record-breaking online sales last year during the pandemic, high volumes are expected again. But can warehouses handle it? How do you prepare your warehouse for Black Friday and the holidays? What can entrepreneurs do to get ready? These are common questions we hear around this time of year. That's why we asked our customers how they prepare for peak periods and what warehouse strategies they have in place for 2021. Anne from Case2go.nl and Jessien from AllYourGames.nl share their insights and tips.

Black Friday campaigns: yes or no this year?

After another unusual year with pandemic-related restrictions and a rise in online shopping, not every business is planning to participate in Black Friday. For companies struggling with tight margins, it’s a tough decision. Our customers Case2go and AllYourGames are participating, but with caution.

Anne: “We're promoting Black Friday through social media, newsletters and campaigns. But we’re not sure how big our participation should be, especially with uncertain stock levels. If you sell everything during Black Friday, what’s left for December?” Jessien adds: “We’re a discount-driven business. Every year it’s a challenge to determine the right discounts. We try to make a big impact through marketing to optimize sales.”

Stock purchasing has become more complicated, especially for Black Friday events. Delays and material shortages are common. Anne explains: “Shipping delays and costs have skyrocketed—transport is now 2.5 to 3 times more expensive than pre-pandemic. But we accept these costs to avoid running out of stock or losing listings on marketplaces like bol.com.”

Jessien adds: “Demand for computer chips is sky-high, which affects the availability of products like Xboxes and PlayStations.”

Anne says: “We try not to overstock. Tablet and phone cases have short life cycles and are usually only sellable for about 1.5 years. We rely on historical data to forecast what will sell well.” For Jessien, the strategy is different: “We reserve a bit more stock for each SKU as a buffer. Fortunately, game and console releases are announced well in advance so we can plan accordingly.”

Anne also gives a timely tip: “Don’t forget to account for Chinese New Year in February. Many manufacturers close during this period. If you've sold everything during the holidays, restocking in early January becomes difficult.”

Preparing your team

Anne: “We recently started using a scheduling app for staff. It shows everyone’s shifts and makes it easy to sign up for extra shifts. We also hired additional staff to handle packing, and we’ve already scheduled pickups with PostNL.”

Jessien prepares differently at AllYourGames: “During peak months, we split roles. Normally, staff pick and pack, but during busy times one group picks and another packs. This creates a continuous flow in the picking process.” He also optimizes Picqer presets: “Instead of picking 100 orders across the warehouse, we group them by aisle. That saves time.”

Customer experience and packaging

Case2go adjusts their shipping promise during the holidays to reduce customer service pressure. “Normally it’s next-day delivery for orders before 18:00. In December, we say 1–2 business days for the Netherlands and 2–5 for Belgium. That reduces complaints and negative reviews.”

Anne adds: “We include a stylus pen with each order. It costs us a bit more, but customers appreciate it.” Jessien takes a more efficient approach: “Adding extras takes about 5 seconds per order. With 4,000 daily orders, that adds up. During the holidays, our priority is getting orders out on time. We eliminate extras to keep the process clean and fast.”

Jessien has a smart packaging tip: “Use letterbox-sized packaging whenever possible. Last year, standard post wasn’t overloaded and deliveries were on time. Plus, customers don’t need to be home for delivery, which reduces returns.”

Packaging is also a priority for Case2go: “Even for low-cost items, thoughtful packaging makes a difference. We use custom envelopes and ask for customer feedback on packaging. Our delivery rating has gone up, even though delivery times haven’t changed. That extra attention pays off.”

Want to know more?

These were the experiences of Case2go.nl and AllYourGames.nl. We hope their insights help you prepare your warehouse for Black Friday. Curious how our warehouse software can support you? Get in touch with us.