Is Your Print-on-Demand Shipping Strategy Ready for the Holiday Rush?

Shipping during the high season can be a make-or-break moment for print-on-demand sellers. The holiday rush is a double-edged sword—while it’s a chance to boost sales, shipping challenges can easily derail success. Delays, missed cut-off dates, and unhappy customers can quickly turn peak season into a stressful experience.?

This newsletter offers tips on choosing the right fulfillment partner for high season, what you can do to minimize shipping delays, and understanding regional expectations to maximize profits and customer satisfaction.?

Shipping Challenges: What to Watch Out For?

Imagine the holiday season for your customers: the excitement of unwrapping presents, the joy of spending time with loved ones, and the satisfaction of a successful shopping spree. But for online sellers, the holidays can also be a time of immense pressure and uncertainty.?

Ensuring a smooth shipping experience can be quite a task with soaring order volumes and tight delivery deadlines. As the orders pile up, so do the shipping risks. Here are the main challenges POD sellers face during peak season:?

• Delays: Carriers are stretched thin, and global logistics can experience slowdowns. A late delivery can turn a happy customer into a frustrated one.?

• Higher Costs: Shipping rates can increase during the holiday season, often due to carrier surcharges. Balancing these surcharges while protecting your profit margins can be challenging. In fact, according to Baymard Institute research, 48% of shoppers abandon their carts due to extra costs that are too high, including shipping.?These surcharges may sometimes be passed on to the end customer, so it's important to communicate this transparently to avoid surprises at checkout.?

• Returns: Damaged or delayed items lead to more returns, which adds to your workload and eats into your profits.?

• Tracking Issues: Providing accurate tracking updates is harder when systems are overwhelmed. DispatchTrack research shows that nearly 90% of consumers want real-time tracking updates, and if you can’t, more than 60% will consider looking for another retailer. ? ?

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. These are some of the most common pain points sellers face every year.?

How Shipping Can Make or Break Your High Season?

Shipping is a key part of the customer experience, especially during peak season. It’s more than just getting products from point A to point B—it’s about delivering on customer expectations.?

• Timely Deliveries Keep Customers Happy: Customers want their items fast in the holiday rush. Insider Intelligence reports that 62% of US online customers believe fast delivery is the most important aspect of a positive customer experience. Missed delivery windows can cost you repeat business.?

• Accurate Tracking Builds Trust: Providing real-time tracking means fewer customer inquiries. This transparency builds trust and keeps your customers informed and satisfied. Besides, Salesforce studies show that 88% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience. ?

• Reliable Shipping = More Sales: Last-minute shoppers are more likely to purchase if they trust you can deliver on time. ?

Prevent Shipping Errors with Accurate Information?

An often overlooked factor in successful shipping is ensuring customers provide accurate delivery information. As a seller, gathering precise and complete addresses from your consumers is crucial to avoid costly delays or undelivered packages.?

According to the United States Postal Service , address-related issues account for approximately 10% of all delivery exceptions. These errors delay deliveries, leading to customer dissatisfaction and increased costs due to reshipping and returns processing. Additionally, Business Wire data shows that 39% of shoppers are unlikely to give retailers a second chance after a poor delivery experience.

Key steps to ensure accuracy:?

• Prompt customers to double-check their shipping details before completing their purchase.?

• Use address validation software to catch errors before shipment.?

• Ask for a phone number to facilitate communication in case the carrier needs to clarify delivery issues or provide additional information.?

• Communicate clearly with customers to ensure they provide special instructions (e.g., specific delivery times or requirements).?

Regional Differences in Consumer Shipping Expectations?

Consumer expectations for shipping vary greatly across the globe, shaped by regional preferences, infrastructure, and local e-commerce norms. As you prepare for the high season, understanding these differences can help you better serve your international customers:??

North America (U.S. & Canada): Fast delivery is a key expectation for consumers in the U.S. and Canada, with many accustomed to receiving items quickly. However, when it comes to print-on-demand products, the value lies in the personalization and uniqueness of each item. While these custom-made products may take a little longer to produce and ship, it’s important to highlight why they’re worth the wait—your customers are getting something tailored specifically to them.?

Offering free or low-cost shipping can still significantly boost conversion rates, and providing real-time tracking helps manage expectations. To keep your customers engaged and satisfied, be transparent about delivery times and emphasize the one-of-a-kind nature of POD products.?

Europe: While fast shipping is valued, sustainability is a key factor, especially in Western Europe. Many consumers are willing to wait longer and pay a premium for eco-friendly options, though free shipping remains a strong motivator.?

A growing trend is the use of pickup points, particularly in France and the Nordics, where consumers prefer collecting parcels from designated locations. This offers flexibility for those not home during delivery and reduces the carbon footprint of last-mile delivery. Many carriers now partner with local pickup points, like local shops or post offices, providing an eco-friendly and convenient delivery option that enhances customer experience and supports sustainability.?

Latin America: Due to varying logistics infrastructure, reliability is more important than speed in this region. Consumers highly value tracking and transparency, and cash-on-delivery is a popular payment option that requires flexible delivery scheduling.??

Middle East and Africa: Flexible delivery times and secure delivery options are important. In countries like the UAE, same-day shipping is expected, while in other areas, reliability and real-time tracking are crucial for customer satisfaction. Payment upon delivery is also common, requiring clear communication about delivery timing.?

Manage Customer Expectations: Transparency is Key?

When it comes to personalized products, managing customer expectations is crucial. Transparency works—let your customers know that creating unique, customized items takes extra time. While these products offer a special, one-of-a-kind experience, the personalization process means they will take longer to ship.?

Managing expectations in regions where customers expect ultra-fast delivery is especially important. In areas like the U.S. or parts of Asia where same-day or next-day shipping is common, clear communication about the extended timeline for personalized products is essential. By being upfront, you help customers understand the value of waiting a bit longer for something custom-made. This approach reduces frustration, builds trust, and ensures customers are satisfied with their purchase and your service.?

Picking the Right Fulfillment Partner?

Choosing the right fulfillment partner is essential for a smooth, profitable high season. At merchOne, we’ve built strong relationships with top shipping carriers like 联邦快递 , DHL , 美国联合包裹服务 , GLS , and Yodel (Yodel Delivery Network Ltd) , ensuring seamless delivery across the U.S. and Europe. Our automated system selects the most optimal carrier for each order, balancing speed and cost to meet your customers' needs.

In Europe, DHL Paket, UPS, GLS, and Yodel, along with other regional carriers, provide comprehensive regional coverage. In the U.S., we proudly partner with FedEx, a trusted and reliable name in American logistics, highly valued by U.S. consumers. FedEx’s speed and dependability help us meet the high expectations of your customers, particularly during the busy holiday season.

To meet increased demand during peak season, we ramp up our production capacity and maintain our 48-hour fulfillment promise, ensuring your orders are processed quickly. In fact, during peak months, 30% of orders are prepared for shipping ahead of schedule. Our expertise and experience in handling high-volume seasons ensure smooth operations even during the busiest times.?

By working with a fulfillment provider with strong connections among top shipping carriers, you make the smart decision to have a smooth, profitable experience rather than a stressful one during the busiest time of the year.?

Looking ahead to 2024, we’re further expanding our production capabilities, upgrading our facilities, and increasing staff by 250% to handle even larger order volumes and efficiently prepare your packages for shipping.?

The Perks of Partnering with merchOne

Reliability: A proven track record during peak season. Late deliveries can damage your brand, so we prioritize dependable fulfillment.?

Speed: Quick production and shipping are key to customer satisfaction. With merchOne’s fast fulfillment, we process orders swiftly, ensuring they move on to shipping faster. While total delivery time depends on the carrier, our quick turnaround means customers receive their orders sooner, even during peak season.

In Q3 2024, our average shipping time across the top 5 countries was just three days, and we are striving to maintain this speed in Q4 despite the typical surge in order volume. Historically, we've consistently kept shipping times steady during the high season, with nearly half of our annual orders processed between October and December. Orders from our U.S. and EU production sites continue to move out quickly, ensuring timely deliveries across key markets year-round.

Seamless Communication & Tracking: Transparent, real-time tracking keeps you and your customers informed. merchOne offers easy access to tracking service, ensuring fewer customer inquiries and smoother operations.?

Peak-Season Expertise: With 18 years of experience in high-volume seasons, we ensure your business can handle increased demand without disruptions.?

Vertical Production Process: Our control over every step of production, from manufacturing to fulfillment and vertical integration, allows us to provide shipping partners and customers with better estimates, ensuring more accurate delivery times and a smoother overall experience.?

Automation & Integration: Our automated order management, e-commerce platform integrations, and flexible API keep your operations efficient and scalable as you grow.

Cut-Off Dates: Don’t Let Them Sneak Up on You?

During high season, shipping can be the ultimate test for print-on-demand?sellers. With rising order volumes, fast fulfillment alone isn’t enough. If shipping partners aren’t prepared, it can disrupt even the most streamlined processes. Later cut-off dates from your POD fulfillment partner offer a competitive edge by allowing you to sell for longer. But they also increase pressure on shipping carriers to stay on top of their game. So, the main question is – how do you manage these challenges??

Why Cut-Off Dates Matter?

Order cut-off dates are a big deal during the high season. They help you manage customer expectations and avoid disappointment. Here’s why they’re important:?

• Set Realistic Expectations: Communicate deadlines clearly to prevent disappointment and ensure customers receive their orders on time.?
• Prevent Cancellations: Clear cut-off dates reduce the risk of customers canceling when they realize their orders won’t arrive on time.?
• Marketing Opportunity: Use cut-off dates as a reason to send reminder emails, update your product pages, and engage with customers on social media. It creates urgency and drives sales.??

Quick Tips for Shipping Success This High Season?

Plan Ahead: Don’t wait until the last minute. Coordinate with your fulfillment provider to understand their capacity and set your shipping deadlines early. With this year's shorter holiday sales period and an overall increase in e-commerce, order fulfillment?has never been more important. Insights from Tinuiti show that for the 2024 holiday season, 62% of shoppers plan to “buy mostly online”.

Keep Customers Informed: Display cut-off dates clearly on your product pages and remind customers via emails and social media. Shoppers are more likely to return if they know their order will arrive on time.?

Be Flexible: Unexpected circumstances can arise during peak season, so monitoring your fulfillment performance closely is crucial. Stay flexible and be ready to adjust your shipping strategy as needed to maintain smooth operations and meet customer expectations.?

Manage Your Marketing Campaigns: Be prepared to adjust your marketing efforts based on current fulfillment and shipping circumstances. If delays occur, ensure your campaigns reflect realistic delivery timelines to manage customer expectations effectively.?

Wrap-Up: It’s Time to Partner Up

Fine-tune your shipping strategy now to focus on growing your business when it matters most. Shipping stress doesn’t have to be a part of your holiday season. Work with a fulfillment partner that can handle the holiday rush with confidence and ease. At merchOne, we’re ready to help you succeed with our 48-hour fulfillment promise, industry-leading cut-off dates, and flexible delivery planning.

We offer multiple cut-off dates with varying delivery probabilities so store owners can make informed decisions about whether to push the risk for last-minute orders. Additionally, during November and December of last year, our production time was often less than one business day, allowing for faster processing and delivery even as demand surged. This high season, make order fulfillment and shipping your strength, not your struggle.

Partner with merchOne today to ensure your holiday campaigns are backed by reliable, fast, and efficient fulfillment.?Contact us to get started and maximize your high season potential.

merchOne is thrilled to be part of our sellers' journey in the print-on-demand industry. Our monthly newsletter aims to inform, inspire, and support your business as it reaches new heights. Let's design, sell, and print our way to success together.