Most businesses throughout the western world will see a large increase in sales around this time of the year. Christmas spending was valued at £12.5billion in 2000 in UK alone according to the Telegraph. This is particularly important for businesses that sell directly to customers as it can have a significant impact on the yearly profit. Good businesses recognise this and make a big effort in attracting Christmas shoppers.
So how can you prepare your business for this potentially profitably season? Well, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is delivery. With e-commerce now a popular option for Christmas shopping, the ability to guarantee delivery before 24th December is a huge selling point. Customers are more impatient than ever so your ability to meet these demands can be crucial. Regardless of whether you are delivering to customers directly or suppliers, you need to be hitting delivery targets. Late delivery looks very bad and can have an instant negative impact on your brand. You need to be realistic with what your company is capable of delivering. You’ll need to set up a reliable delivery system. A common reason for negative feedback is parcels going missing or taking too long to arrive. Using a reliable courier, a long-established and reputable shipping firm, should make life easier.
Logistics is big business with plenty of different options. It’s important to look around for the best deal. If you’ve done your research, you will have noticed TNT are currently offering free delivery. It’s promotions like this that you should be utilizing, especially at this time of the year. Partnering with a delivery specialist is a wise choice and one that can help ensure your customers are happy.
It’s not just about whether you can deliver your products to your customers/clients on time; you also need to consider your own supplies. Under-stocking or over-stocking can have detrimental effects for your business. Estimating what the supply is for your service/product is one of the hardest things you need to forecast. This is where thorough research can be so beneficial. Pricing (including any promotions or discounts) is tricky to get right but it’s just as bad to undervalue as overvalue your work. It’s worth looking at competitors and seeing what prices they are presenting to customers.
If you stay focused, Christmas shoppers could offer your business the kick start it needs.
