How retailers may have the ‘perfect storm’ of Covid, peak and Brexit

2020 has been a demanding year and there has been a seismic shift in the online retail industry. 

In March, the forced closure of stores due to the Covid-19 lockdown meant that more of us were shopping online than ever before.

E-commerce sales skyrocketed to a ten-year high, and retailers have since been balancing unprecedented order levels, reduced staff levels, social distancing measures, and local lockdown restrictions. 

Many believe the pandemic has changed consumer habits for good, and peak season is set to be the busiest for online sellers.

With Brexit only a matter of weeks away, and a lot still unknown about the effect it will have on business, this combination of Covid-19, peak season and Brexit sets retailers on course for the ‘perfect storm’.

Optimising delivery with multiple carriers

The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for businesses to plan and forecast – after all, how can you plan for something so unpredictable? Retailers must ensure they have robust contingency in place so that they have the flexibility and agility to adapt, whatever happens. 

For example, working with one carrier when it comes to delivery is too risky a strategy. In the peak of the pandemic, many carriers struggled to meet demand, and even stopped deliveries.

Over peak season, carriers warned that they may have to switch off non-core services or turn away any business beyond the forecasted volumes. 

Without the backup of additional carriers, parcels could have nowhere to go should this happen. A multicarrier approach to delivery means that you can easily switch between carriers should any issues occur and ensures delivery costs can be optimised based on size, weight and destination.

Expanding delivery options at checkout

Delivery and returns are at the heart of your customers online experience and are crucial to securing sales and repeat purchases. Retailers must not only provide transparency and consistent communication to their customers, but also provide them with a wide range of delivery options. 

Customers don’t just want fast or free delivery – they want to be able to choose an option that is most convenient for them, whether that's the same day, next day, nominated day or Click and Collect, for example. 

The more delivery options you can offer, the happier the customer and the more likely they will buy from you. In fact, 45% of consumers would abandon a purchase if a range of delivery options weren’t available. 

Teamed with the right technology, you can add or remove delivery options depending on capacity and be agile to whatever your business and customer needs. This is another way that working with multiple carriers ensures you have the right range of options to give your customers plenty of choice. 

Confident international shipping post-Brexit

There is still a lot of uncertainty as to what will happen when border-free trade ends on the 31st December, but we do know that customs processes and import/export duties will be changing. There will likely be delays and longer transit times for businesses selling across borders. 

Retailers should ensure they are ready, and that their carriers have the right procedures in place such as using product EORI numbers or HS codes. They should also ensure that their shipping platforms are set up to handle customs documentation so that you can get parcels across borders without issues. 

To do this, retailers might want to consider implementing automated label printing and despatch to minimise mistakes and streamline shipping processes.

This will not only save time but provide peace of mind that the parcels have the correct documentation to prevent hold-ups at customs, unnecessary fines, or the dreaded ‘return to sender’.

A multicarrier partner to provide contingency when you need it

2020 has presented many different challenges and retailers must ensure that they have learnt lessons from the pandemic as they move forward. 

This includes, having maximum visibility of your shipments to ensure you can identify potential issues early, control delivery options at checkout, and ensuring you and your carriers are ready for whatever is thrown at them, including Brexit. 

Working with multiple carriers ensures you have the flexibility and contingency to react to these challenges. However, working with multiple carriers and managing this contingency planning takes a lot of resource and time. 

Working with a single multicarrier provider, however, could help. With one of the widest ranges of global multicarrier services and localised international expertise, GFS will not only allow you to access hundreds of carrier services at affordable prices, but they will be managed through one relationship and technology platform. 

For an affordable price, this will ensure a tailored and consistent service for your customers, giving you contingency no matter what happens, or where your customers are in the world.