As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to get serious about planning your promotions, staffing, and ensuring your customers get their orders on time. The last thing you want is to be scrambling to catch up on orders or deal with frustrated customers because of missed shipping deadlines. To help you get organized, here are the key dates to consider, along with some tips on how to maximize your sales efforts and keep operations running smoothly.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024 – The Final Calm Before the Storm
Take a breather, but don’t get too comfortable. Use this day to finalize everything before the holiday rush kicks into full gear. Double-check your promotions, stock levels, and tech setup to ensure you’re prepared for the high-volume days ahead. Make sure your email marketing platform is ready to send those Black Friday emails!
Planning Tip: If you use real-time inventory, make sure your inventory management system is synced. If you update inventory manually throughout the day, you may want to consider doing it more frequently to keep things up-to-date with the added volume. Your Store Wizards has an inventory updater tool for BigCommerce store owners to make this task easy!
Thursday, November 28, 2024 – Thanksgiving
A day for relaxation, family, and (hopefully) not too much stress! But before you dive into that turkey, make sure everything is set for Black Friday. Double-check that your email marketing is scheduled and ready to go live bright and early the next morning.
Planning Tip: Ensure your customer support team is prepped for Black Friday questions, and if you’re offering any special Thanksgiving deals, make sure they’re clearly communicated both online and in writing for those handing calls and emails from customers so messaging is clear and consistent.
Friday, November 29, 2024 – Black Friday
The official start of the holiday shopping season. While some shoppers will brave the crowds in-store, many will be scouring your site for the best online deals. Make sure your offers are competitive and well-publicized. Many save their best offers for Cyber Monday, but you may want to throw out a few of those deals early for Black Friday shoppers.
Planning Tip: Consider offering early bird specials for those who shop first thing in the morning. Flash sales throughout the day also help keep momentum high.
Saturday, November 30, 2024 – Small Business Saturday
An excellent day to celebrate small businesses. If you’re a small business, highlight your uniqueness. American Express’ “Shop Small” campaign is a great opportunity to tap into, and they offer promotional materials for businesses that accept American Express cards.
Planning Tip: Share your story and connect with customers on a personal level. Remind them that by shopping small, they’re supporting a community.
Monday, December 2, 2024 – Cyber Monday
Get ready for what is often the biggest day for online sales. Shoppers will be expecting major discounts and deals, so make sure you’re offering promotions that are hard to resist. From free shipping to gift-with-purchase offers, make Cyber Monday your biggest sales day of the year.
Planning Tip: Schedule multiple email campaigns throughout the day, each offering different deals or reminding customers of limited-time offers.
Monday, December 9, 2024 – Green Monday
This is the final big shopping day for holiday procrastinators. It’s often viewed as the last day people can comfortably place orders and have them delivered in time for Christmas. Promote your last-minute deals and guarantee delivery by Christmas for extra sales.
Planning Tip: Create urgency in your messaging. Use language like “last chance to order for guaranteed Christmas delivery” in your email and social media campaigns.
Other Important Dates to Keep in Mind:
- Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – Christmas Eve
- Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Christmas Day
- Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – January 2, 2025 – Hanukkah
- Tuesday, December 31, 2024 – New Year’s Eve
- Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
While many shoppers will have finished their holiday buying by mid-December, there are always last-minute shoppers. Don’t forget to offer digital gift cards as an option for those who are cutting it close.
Don’t Forget About Shipping Deadlines
With shipping carriers under immense pressure during the holiday season, make sure you’re providing customers with realistic delivery dates. Be transparent about shipping cutoff times and, if necessary, add extra “padding” to your processing times to account for delays. This will help prevent disappointed customers who may otherwise expect their packages to arrive in time.
Planning Tip: Clearly display your shipping deadlines on your homepage, in product pages, and during checkout to avoid any confusion. Consider offering expedited shipping options, but make sure to remind customers to order early to avoid rush fees.
Staffing Up: More Hands on Deck
As orders start piling up, so should your workforce. Whether it’s customer service, shipping, or order fulfillment, you’ll likely need extra hands on deck. Start scheduling additional staff in advance to ensure smooth operations during the busiest periods.
Planning Tip: Consider hiring seasonal staff and cross-train your existing team members to cover multiple roles. This flexibility will be crucial during peak periods.
Encouraging Early Orders
With potential shipping delays and the holiday rush, encouraging customers to order early can help ease the load on your fulfillment team and prevent disappointment. Offering early-bird discounts or free upgrades to priority shipping for early orders can be great motivators.
Planning Tip: Start your holiday marketing early. Use newsletters and social media to remind customers of upcoming sales and shipping deadlines.
By strategically planning around these key dates, ensuring adequate staffing, and being transparent with customers about shipping deadlines, you’ll set your business up for a smooth and successful holiday season. Start preparing now, and you’ll be ready to tackle the busiest time of the year with confidence!
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.