Most Recent Articles

When it came to holiday spending, 2021 was a banner year. The surge in retail shopping for both brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce businesses was the biggest we’ve experienced in more than 20 years, which left many warehouses scrambling to keep up with the demand.

For several months each year, warehouses face a surge of activity due to skyrocketing product demand. This peak season begins as early as October as people begin preparing for the upcoming holiday season and ends sometime in January as warehouses are still dealing with high return volumes.

Peak season is officially here. And, if your warehouse can manage its inflows and outflows efficiently during the busiest time of year, it should be smooth sailing during those other months. Knowing how to best run your operations when the stakes are highest might be challenging. But it will also improve your overall business results.

Every year many of us in the industry share our stories of “Peak Season” that are almost always what now seems to be a relatively innocuous set of challenges revolving around ramping up staff, adding more temporary workstations or bringing in some rental equipment and devices while being extra vigilant to monitor shipping volumes and timing.

Peak season creep is no joke. According to the National Retail Foundation, over half of the consumers are well underway with their holiday shopping in early November, and many much sooner. As seasonal shopping preferences shift, warehouse preparation must react in kind, prompting the question of how soon is too soon to get ready for that peak season rush.

Ramping up your operations with the expectation of more activity is one thing. But what about changing your warehouse processes or making some upgrades? Would these types of changes benefit your operations or give you one more headache that you’ll have to manage in the coming months?

It may seem odd to think about the holiday season during the heat of summer. But anyone working in retail or order fulfillment knows that the busy season is just around the corner. And those who are best prepared for the holiday rush and the logistical challenges it presents can reap the greatest rewards.