12 Holiday Shipping Tips for Store Owners To Prepare for 2024

Prepare your business for a busy holiday season with these holiday shipping tips to help you meet shipping deadlines and avoid delays.

Record-breaking sales are a goal for any major shopping season. In 2023, Shopify merchants achieved a milestone, with $9.3 billion in sales over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend, marking a 24% increase from the previous year.

However, even after securing those impressive sales, businesses must still establish efficient shipping and fulfilment processes for each order.

This is a positive challenge to have, and we are here to guide you. This comprehensive shipping guide offers practical tips to help you streamline your processes, create a seamless, customer-first shipping experience during peak times, and leverage Shopify's shipping features, such as Shopify Shipping, Local Delivery, and Local Pickup, to get more orders to more places quickly and efficiently.

12 Essential Holiday Shipping Tips

1. Map Out Your Shipping and Delivery Process It's essential to document and review every step of your shipping and delivery process. Ensure that your procedures are accessible to all team members and up-to-date for peak season, as conditions can change rapidly. For example:

Review open orders in Shopify’s Orders tab. (1 minute)
Organise orders by delivery area and method. (2 minutes)
Select the appropriate inventory based on the delivery method. (3 minutes)
Print packing slips and labels in bulk using Shopify. (2 minutes)
Prepare the packaging and any extras, such as coupons or branded materials. (1 minute)
Assemble and label each order. (7 minutes)

Identifying any bottlenecks in your process and eliminating inefficiencies can save significant time, especially when handling high order volumes.

If you're managing a high order volume, consider outsourcing fulfilment to Shopify's Fulfilment Network, which offers fast, reliable service with competitive pricing.

2. Prepare Inventory Early Avoid holiday stockouts by ensuring your inventory is well-prepared in advance. Review last year’s sales data to identify your bestsellers and stock up accordingly. Plan ahead to prevent any surprises and ensure you're ready to fulfil orders promptly.

3. Stock Up on Shipping and Packaging Supplies Ensure you have ample supplies of packaging materials, labels, and any extras you plan to offer, such as gift wrapping. Stock up on necessary shipping supplies, including carrier-specific packaging, well before the holiday season begins.

4. Know and Meet 2024 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Carriers release updated shipping deadlines every year, and it's crucial to stay informed to avoid shipping delays. Monitor carrier deadlines and incorporate them into your delivery strategy, adjusting for possible disruptions due to increased global eCommerce and supply chain issues.

5. Set Your Busy-Season Shipping and Delivery Strategy Decide on your shipping rates and options. Consider offering free shipping, flat-rate shipping, or exact-cost shipping based on your business needs. Each option has its pros and cons, so choose one that aligns with your goals and margins.

6. Label Products Clearly and Accurately Ensure your products are clearly labelled with all necessary shipping details, including the postal code, country, tracking number, and weight. Accurate labelling will streamline the fulfilment process and reduce errors, helping to maintain shipping accuracy and customer satisfaction.

7. Make Shipping Dates, Prices, and Delivery Options Clear to Customers Clear communication is essential, especially around shipping costs and delivery times. Display key information prominently on your website, via email, or even through social media to ensure customers are aware of shipping deadlines, costs, and available options.

8. Prepare for Returns With the holiday season comes a higher volume of returns. Make sure your returns policy is clearly communicated to customers upfront, detailing whether they will bear the cost of return shipping or if it will be covered by your business.

9. Allow Customers to Track Their Orders Order tracking is a key part of the customer experience. Offering visibility on delivery status can reduce customer anxiety and save you time answering status-related inquiries. Provide tracking numbers and allow customers to check delivery progress on your website.

10. Manage Customer Expectations Clear, proactive communication about shipping times and delays is critical. Set expectations early and keep customers informed throughout the fulfilment process. Consider using a chatbot or live support for real-time customer assistance.

11. Launch Holiday Deals Early Get ahead of the competition by launching your holiday promotions early. Offering early-bird discounts or free shipping can help you spread out the workload, reduce stress, and increase your chances of capturing sales ahead of the busy season.

12. Understand the Common Causes of Holiday Shipping Delays Despite the best preparations, unexpected delays can still occur. Common causes include inclement weather, labour shortages, and surges in demand. Have contingency plans in place and communicate any potential delays to customers in advance to manage their expectations.

Optimising Your Shipping Strategy with Shopify

Shopify offers a range of features to help you handle increased order volumes during the holiday season:

Bulk Shipping Labels: Save time by buying and printing multiple shipping labels at once through Shopify, with access to pre-negotiated rates from major carriers such as USPS, UPS, DHL, and more.
Local Delivery and Pickup: For local customers, consider offering Local Delivery or Local Pickup options to save on shipping costs and provide quicker service.
Shopify Fulfilment Network: If you're scaling quickly, consider outsourcing to Shopify’s Fulfilment Network for faster and more efficient order fulfilment.

By planning your shipping strategy now, you can ensure a smoother experience for your customers and team during the busy holiday season.

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