The company has released a check-list of logistical priorities that fleets should focus on to ensure that they can cope with demand when the Christmas shopping period reaches its peak.
DX believes that flexible delivery options, for example, can enhance the shopping experience, so retailers need to make it much easier for customers to control this part of the ordering process.
At the same time, retailers’ websites need to offer detailed information on the different delivery options available. This information should include the fact that free-delivery may mean there is no item tracking or guaranteed time of delivery, whilst next-day delivery (at an added cost) often comes with a tracking service and an accurate window for delivery.
Contingency planning should also be a major factor, with adverse weather – and snow in particular – making the UK’s roads dangerous (and at times impassable) during winter, it is essential for fleets to have a plan place that outlines how to communicate with the customer if a delivery failure looks likely.
DX states that throughout the busy Christmas trading season, retailers must try to forecast – and communicate to their logistics providers – the volumes that will need to be sent as accurately as possible. Retailers also need to appreciate how capacity issues will affect the logistics market, and should engage with their suppliers and partners early on in order to reserve the capacity that they’ll need for their business.
‘Christmas is often viewed as a “make or break” trading period for retailers that have an online/home delivery presence,’ explained Paul Doble, director at DX.
‘Whilst Christmas is an extremely busy period for home deliveries, it’s crucial that retailers don’t forget these finer details. With the correct planning and a trusted relationship with suppliers, it’s possible for Christmas to still be a business-as-usual period.’