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Prepare for the holiday season with Shipmondo. We go through three of the most common mistakes in logistics and delivery, and how to avoid them with data, automation, and communication.
When the holiday shopping season hits, it follows the same pattern every year: order volumes skyrocket, customer expectations rise, and even the smallest bottlenecks in logistics suddenly become magnified.
For e-commerce businesses and larger retail organizations with complex logistics needs, the months around Christmas are a true test of systems, processes, and cross-team collaboration between warehouse, customer service, and marketing. Every year, we see the same three mistakes that can end up being costly - both financially and for your brand experience if not handled strategically.
Here are our insights from over 50,000 businesses and practical advice on how to avoid the classic holiday pitfalls.
1. Underestimating holiday traffic
The holiday season doesn’t just increase orders, it tests your entire logistics setup, from picking and packing to transport and delivery.
When volume increases by several hundred percent in just a few days, it’s often the warehouse and shipping flow that feel the pressure first. Yet, many businesses still plan based on last year’s averages instead of focusing on peak weeks and months.
The result? Delays, overburdened workflows, and in the worst case, disappointed customers who don’t receive their gifts in time.
Use data - not gut feeling
With Shipmondo Analytics, you can review accurate numbers from last year’s peak season:
- Which days had the highest order volume?
- When did shipments hit the warehouse?
- Which transport companies were most strained?
These insights help you scale staffing, optimize pickup times, and decide which delivery options to highlight at checkout this year.
Read more about how your own logistics data can be used strategically to optimize operations, sales, and delivery.
Digitize your pick and pack
Under pressure, mistakes are inevitable unless your processes are digitalized.
With Order Management and digital pick routes in Shipmondo, you can pick up to 50% faster and eliminate picking errors in the warehouse.
For example, KiMs achieved a 0% error rate last year within just one month after switching from manual pick lists to digital pick routes with scanner and automatic order check.
Make customer service data-driven
When customers ask “Where’s my package?”, your support team needs to have the answer ready.
With access to tracking, order status, and analytics directly in Shipmondo, customer service can provide fast and accurate responses without bottlenecks maintaining loyalty even during peak season.
It also relieves some of the pressure from warehouse employees, allowing them to focus on their own tasks.
2. Unclear, costly, or too few delivery options
Checkout is a critical moment in the buying journey. Delivery options and lead times often determine whether customers complete their purchase or abandon their cart.
Still, every year we see webshops losing orders because their delivery terms aren’t clear enough. They’re either too limited, too expensive, or too confusing.
Turn delivery into a competitive advantage
With Shipmondo Delivery Checkout, you can gather all your delivery options in one solution.
This allows customers to choose exactly how they want their order delivered whether it’s to a pickup point, home delivery, or in-store pickup. You can adjust shipping rates, delivery times, and transport companies based on your strategic goals.
A flexible delivery setup not only boosts customer satisfaction but also increases your conversion rate.
Optimize your shipping rates
Free shipping doesn’t have to mean lost profit. Even though shipping prices have been rising in recent years, you can offset these costs by offering free shipping for orders above a certain value.
With Shipmondo Analytics, you can see which order types or markets make up most of your shipping costs, and where it makes sense to offer free or reduced shipping to strengthen your competitiveness.
A strategic adjustment of your shipping rates can make a big difference. For example, you could run a limited-time campaign:
“Free return shipping on orders over DKK 500 during weeks 49-50,” based on your historical order data.
3. Lack of communication during delivery
Even the best logistics setup loses value if customers don’t know where their package is. When communication stops after checkout, support requests and customer frustration increase.
In a busy December, poor communication can quickly become costly in time, resources, and customer loyalty.
Make your delivery transparent
With Personalized Message, you can automatically notify customers when their order is shipped, on its way, or ready for pickup.
Messages are sent via SMS or email and can be customized with your logo, tone, and tracking links. This reassures customers and reduces the load on your customer service.
Setup takes only a few minutes and can be tailored to fit your existing workflows.
Keep track of your shipments
You can continuously monitor how your shipments move from your warehouse to the carrier and on to your customers.
Include a tracking link in your customer communication so they can stay updated on their delivery. This reduces support requests and allows your team to focus on more critical issues.
Ready for the holiday rush?
With the right tools, the holiday rush doesn’t have to be a challenge, it can be an opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty and efficiency across your logistics.
Shipmondo brings everything together, from shipping booking and pick routes to analytics and communication, so you can focus on what truly creates value:
Faster shipments, fewer errors, and happier customers. Even under the pressure of peak season.
