How the world of e-logistics handles the year-end peak

The beginning of the year is the right time to take stock of how the world of ecommerce and logistics handled the traditional spike in orders in the period between Black Friday and Christmas.

The logistics supply chain is often under stress between October and December, having to juggle problems such as the need to employ seasonal workers and logistical issues related to the management of millions of orders at the same time.

One of the main challenges in the world of ecommerce is meeting the end consumer’s expectations to not only receive the order on time, but also constantly monitor delivery. According to recent research, 83% of consumers expect their product to arrive on time and 80% want to know the exact time of arrival. Often, however, the task of the supply chain does not end with delivery of the product.

More online orders also means more returns. This is also due to the increase in online sales of clothes, shoes and accessories. When it comes to fashion, consumers frequently ask to have something in another size or style. Nowadays, brands that best manage returns or replacements of online orders are certainly appreciated and favoured by the general public.

It may seem a contradiction, but it’s true: in order to meet the needs of an increasingly complex world we need to invest in solutions that are as simple and effective as possible. For example, a package with a simple opening system that the customer can reseal makes it considerably easier to return a product. There are two advantages to this: first, the consumer saves time as he can reuse the same packaging, and second, as less material is used, the impact on the environment is reduced.

It goes without saying that the end of last year represented a real challenge for the world of logistics (and not only). The ongoing pandemic at the end of 2021 meant that many workers still had to go into quarantine for long periods, resulting in a shortage in workforce. Furthermore, the raw materials crisis also hit the paper sector, making it difficult to procure materials for packaging

At the same time, the last two months saw a further increase in orders, confirming a growth that was underway even before the pandemic. For example, in the past two years, Black Friday has caused a peak in sales earlier than the traditional dates. This has stimulated growth in the sector but also posed new challenges.

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