As summer heats up, savvy ecommerce businesses are already turning their attention to the busiest and most demanding quarter of the year. With key events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holiday shopping just around the corner, Q4 can account for up to 40% of annual sales for many retailers. That level of opportunity also brings major challenges, especially when it comes to fulfillment.
Whether you’re managing fulfillment in-house or working with a third-party logistics (3PL) partner, early preparation is key. The earlier you plan, the smoother your operations will run when peak hits. Here’s how to get a head start now and set your business up for success.
1. Review Last Year’s Data
The best way to prepare for the future is to learn from the past. Analyze your previous Q4 performance to identify patterns, successes, and bottlenecks.
KPIs to Review:
Order volume and velocity: When did the spike begin, and how much did it increase?
Stockouts or overstock issues: Were you prepared with the right SKUs?
Shipping delays: Which carriers struggled and why?
Customer complaints or reviews: What feedback did you receive about delivery speed, packaging, or order accuracy?
This data will help you identify what to repeat, and what to improve going into this year’s peak season.
2. Align with Your 3PL Partner Early
If you work with a 3PL provider, it’s critical to start coordinating now. Your logistics partner should be looped in on your Q4 plans as early as possible to ensure they have the staff, space, and strategy to handle the increased volume.
Work together to align on:
Forecasted volumes: Share your anticipated order numbers to help them plan labor and capacity.
Promotions and product launches: Let your 3PL know about any marketing events that may cause a spike.
Holiday shipping cutoffs: Establish realistic deadlines for standard and express shipping. Use our holiday shipping guidelines as a starting point.
Custom packaging or gift services: Communicate any special branding or packaging requirements in advance.
Proactive communication ensures your 3PL is a seamless extension of your brand, not a bottleneck during crunch time.
3. Strategize Inventory Planning
Accurate inventory management is essential during Q4. You need the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time. Begin working with your suppliers and logistics partners now to ensure timely replenishment and efficient warehousing.
Tips for better inventory planning:
Reorder early: Avoid delays caused by global supply chain congestion.
Prioritize top sellers: Stock up on your most popular items based on last year’s trends.
Bundle slow movers: Combine underperforming SKUs with best-sellers in promotions or gift sets.
Enable real-time inventory visibility: Ensure your system integrates with your 3PL for accurate stock counts and reorder points.
Well-positioned inventory allows you to meet demand without overstocking or missing out on sales.
4. Prepare for Returns Season
Q4 sales come with Q1 returns. Having a streamlined returns process in place not only reduces friction but also improves customer satisfaction and protects your margins.
Key return prep steps:
Clarify your return policy: Make it easy to understand and accessible online.
Coordinate with your 3PL: Ensure they can process returns efficiently, including inspection and restocking.
Track return reasons: Use data to identify product issues or improve your listings and sizing guides.
Reverse logistics can be a competitive differentiator, especially during the post-holiday rush. Check out this article to learn more about reverse logistics.
5. Optimize with Technology
Manual processes can’t keep up with Q4 demands. Now is the time to invest in automation and system upgrades to support scale and efficiency.
Tech tools to consider:
Order Management System (OMS): Route orders based on inventory and shipping zones.
Warehouse Management System (WMS): Streamlines picking, packing, and shipping processes.
Inventory forecasting tools: Use AI or predictive software to plan smarter.
Carrier integration tools: Automate rate shopping, label generation, and tracking updates.
Your technology should work together with your 3PL to ensure fast, accurate, and transparent fulfillment. Evans’ customers have access to evans365, a business intelligence tool that provides a holistic view of account activity, based on real-time data from Evans’ warehouse management system (WMS) and other data sources. Learn more.
Start Now, Succeed Later
It may only be summer, but in logistics, timing is everything. By reviewing your past performance, forecasting demand, communicating with your partners, and embracing technology, you can avoid last-minute panic and build a Q4 fulfillment strategy that delivers results.
At Evans, we help businesses scale efficiently during peak season and beyond. From flexible warehousing to fulfillment, transportation, and reverse logistics, we’re here to help you win Q4 with confidence.
Ready to get started? Reach out today to start your peak season planning.