The 2023 holiday shipping season is just around the corner (and it’s crazy for us too). Our recent research in partnership with Retail Economics shows that 44% of U.S. customers remain concerned about inflation heading into the holiday season. However, three in four customers still plan to spend the same amount on holiday gifts as last year (44%), and some plan to spend even more (22%). While some shoppers may be cautious with their spending, customers still want to spend money this holiday season. To ensure your products are included in these holiday purchases, it’s up to you to meet customer expectations for expedited shipping options, shipping insurance, early holiday shopping, and more.
table of contents
- Consider expedited shipping options
- offer insurance options
- Prepare early for holiday shipping
- Utilizing e-commerce marketplaces
- Tips for a successful holiday shipping season
Consider expedited shipping options
Not only will your customers travel during the holiday season, but they may forget to order gifts along the way. Amidst the chaos, last-minute shoppers can delay buying gifts and turn to your company. This means you will need a faster delivery service.With this in mind, it’s worth considering expedited shipping option. As a refresher, expedited shipping options are carrier services that deliver your package within 1-2 days. These options include overnight delivery, where your package arrives the day after you place your order.
Additionally, with Christmas falling on a Monday this year, same-day delivery options are likely to surge in popularity. Once again, same-day delivery means you receive your package on the same day you order it. According to our research, 61% of customers are willing to pay up to $9 more for same-day delivery for orders between $40 and $60. Many customers shop for multiple gifts and multiple people at the same time, so they’re more likely to hit the $40 to $60 threshold. It may also be worth running a promotion to help your customers reach this amount by offering a discount or exclusive item if they spend this minimum amount.
Premium shipping options such as same-day shipping can be expensive and may not be available to most companies. Are you okay! Offering other carrier services with guaranteed delivery can be a good compromise, as you may be eligible for a refund if your eligible package is not delivered within a given period. there is. Shipping deadline to the customer as soon as possible. This allows your customers to know how long it will take to purchase the item and use the carrier services provided to ensure that the item arrives in time for the holidays.
*Note: Some shipping guarantees change during the holiday season, so we recommend contacting your chosen carrier for more information.
Offer shipping insurance options
Pretend you are running an errand. You check your phone and receive a notification that the package you were waiting for has been delivered. I have some errands left to run, so it will take me some time to get home. Excitedly, I arrived at the front door and found it empty. I can’t find my baggage anywhere.Here is shipping insurance will appear.
Our research shows that 37% of customers are most concerned about package theft, so it’s important to offer carrier services with insurance, declared value, and additional insurance options. Some carriers include varying amounts of insurance (usually around $100 to $200) so you can: Submit a claim If applicable, you will be compensated for this amount. Other airlines may include declared value, which is a type of liability insurance.
Third-party shipping insurance providers are also worth considering. ShippingEasy sellers can purchase additional insurance for their shipments through our partners. ship insurance. Shipsurance is purchased at the time of label creation and costs ship insurance It depends on the carrier you use and the coverage you need. Additionally, you can: Shipping rules Automatically assign Shipsurance to orders based on specific criteria, such as SKU. This way, you won’t have to worry about manually adding insurance during the busy holiday season.
Get ready for holiday shopping early
One of the more surprising results of our research is that 41% of customers plan to start their holiday shopping by October. Many customers are doing their holiday shopping, so the sooner your business starts preparing for the holiday season, the better. Start testing your customer service communication lines to ensure that listed phone numbers are working properly, forms are being sent to the correct email, and customer emails are not being pushed to spam folders. Make sure.
In addition to maintaining good customer service, we recommend that you plan to: promo codes and sales now. Labor Day sales are over, so if your customers are shopping early, they’re more likely to take advantage of any deals your business has to offer. Running a sale now is a great way to appeal to early shoppers as well as test your sale for the upcoming holiday season or other big sale dates. Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Utilizing e-commerce marketplaces
If you haven’t started selling your products on marketplaces like Amazon, this is your sign. According to our research, online marketplaces such as Amazon are expected to account for approximately $253 billion worldwide, with more than $183 billion in North America alone. With 48.7% of customers saying they use online marketplaces for a convenient shopping experience, businesses can’t afford to miss out on these potential sales. ShippingEasy Seller Amazon It’s integrated within your account, so eligible orders are automatically downloaded to your dashboard.
Nine out of 10 shoppers (88%) plan to shop on online marketplaces for their holiday shopping this year.
Also, Amazon Prime announced that it will offer another set prime day From October 10th to 11th. Use these dates as a trial run to get familiar with selling on Amazon and solidify your sales strategy.Be careful which product Sell faster than others and listen carefully to customer feedback and reviews. Selling on Amazon can be a little daunting, but checking out some of our online sales is worth the effort for your business.
Tips for a successful holiday shipping season
Three out of four customers plan to spend the same amount or more on holiday gifts as they did last year, so businesses need to start preparing for holiday shopping as early as possible. If you don’t know where to start, try the following:
- Add a tracking FAQ section to your website
- Have a dedicated space on your website for shipping deadlines
- Align with online shopping trends and customer preferences with ShippingEasy store and marketplace integrations
- We begin testing customer service lines and launch sales to account for early holiday shoppers and better prepare for the upcoming holiday season
Give your business the gift of a trial Easy delivery.
Bailey Perkins is a delivery worker by day and a pop culture writer by night, so her Google search history is a nightmare.
