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Traditionally, Black Friday takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and in recent years, Black Friday campaigns continue a whole week – the last week of November. This year, many online and physical stores start with discounts even earlier – from mid-November.
In Europe, Black Friday is a relatively new initiative that does not cause such mass excitement as in the US. But this is definitely one of the busiest times of the year for online merchants. Here we will take a look at the most common problems for online stores during this period, as well as solutions based on our years of experience.
Logically, along with increased shopping, between the upcoming Black Friday and the Christmas and New Year holidays, the biggest delays in the delivery of parcels occur. Two main types are most often observed – delays in order processing and delays in delivery.
This type of delay is caused by insufficient operational capacity when online stores use their own warehouses. The best solution is to use fulfillment services with unlimited capacity. They guarantee the timely dispatch of incoming orders and significantly reduce the possibility of human errors in the preparation of each shipment. In addition, outsourcing this process to third parties allows online merchants to focus on generating more sales and developing their businesses.
At this time of the year, courier companies are overwhelmed with deliveries, often with insufficient flexibility in processes and a lack of staff to cope with the workload. If you use the services of only one courier company, it is very likely that there will be a delay in the delivery of your shipments. The solution is to have at least one alternate courier for each country you sell to.
With higher order volumes around the busy Black Friday, the rate of so-called “abandoned carts” is also higher. The reasons may be various, but our experience shows that there are several main factors for this phenomenon.
Lack of convenient delivery methods is a leading cause of incomplete online orders. The options of delivery to a personal address or a courier office have long ceased to guarantee competitiveness, especially in Central and Western Europe. An increasingly preferred method is the delivery to automated parcel stations (Parcel Locker) or partner access points (PUDOs). And here are some facts:
🔹Until the end of 2021. there were already over 336,000 Parcel Lockers in Europe, with a 40% increase in their use since 2019.
🔹Poland – 50% of deliveries are to Parcel Lockers.
🔹 France – 64% of deliveries are to PUDOs.
🔹 Czech Republic – 40% of deliveries are to PUDOs
🔹 Slovakia – 50% of deliveries are to Parcel Lockers and 30% to PUDOs
Another reason for incomplete orders is the lack of free shipping. Most online stores offer free shipping on all orders or orders over a certain amount. Consumer attitudes are built on this practice and the lack of free shipping becomes a reason for a refusal of purchase.
Express delivery is another option that is especially valuable and applicable for urgent orders around the holidays. If you don’t provide such a service for your online store, you can certainly miss a lot of orders.
An additional way to significantly reduce the number of uncompleted orders is to provide the Cash on Delivery option. Although online payments are quite common these days, a large percentage of online consumers still want to pay for their orders on delivery. And if there is no such option in your online store, they will prefer to shop elsewhere.
The solution here is to use an integrator of courier services. You will have several alternative courier companies in each country, with their entire portfolio of delivery methods, plus a Cash on Delivery option. This way you guarantee the most competitive prices, so you can offer free delivery for your online store, as well as express delivery with attractive conditions.
Here we want to draw special attention to a situation that can be completely avoided with proper preparation.
During peak shopping times like the upcoming Black Friday, a discrepancy in the information about the availability of certain products is common. In such a situation online stores receive orders for products out-of-stock and delivery is impossible. In such cases, the use of fulfillment services with the possibility of 24/7 real-time tracking of stocks can avoid this type of “mistakes”.
To avoid such logistical problems, entrust your shipments to us!
We have invested time and money in researching the leading local courier companies for each of the 27 European countries we ship to. As an integrator of courier services, we provide our customers with a full range of over 600 different delivery methods, which means more flexibility and security in the most unforeseen situations, more competitive prices, and faster deliveries.
The cash-on-delivery option is also active for 17 countries. In addition, our fulfillment centers, located in 12 strategic locations across Europe, give you peace of mind that all shipments will be prepared and delivered on time.
With our single API integration, you get real-time feedback on the stock of goods in our fulfillment warehouses. And in turn, the information is coordinated with your website or online sales platform.
With our help, you get premium logistics solutions and save time to focus on developing your online business. Send us an inquiry or contact our sales team today – each consultation is completely free and you will receive a personal offer based on the goals and specifics of your business!
