Last November, I visited a fulfillment center outside Chicago during Black Friday weekend. The facility manager, Elena, showed me a wall-mounted monitor tracking hourly order volume.
See that spike? she pointed to a dramatic upward curve. We’ll process more orders in the next 72 hours than we did in all of September.
Peak season—the period spanning Black Friday through Christmas—can make or break an e-commerce business. After speaking with dozens of fulfillment experts and operations managers, I’ve gathered the strategies that consistently help companies navigate this challenging period successfully.
Start Planning in Summer
When I asked Elena when they start preparing for the holiday rush, she laughed. We’re already planning next year’s peak season strategy by February, and implementation begins in July.
This timeline might sound extreme, but every successful operation I visited follows a similar approach. Peak season readiness isn’t something you can address a few weeks before Black Friday.
Carlos, who manages e-commerce operations for a mid-sized apparel brand, shared his timeline: By August, we’ve already forecasted expected volume, secured additional warehouse space if needed, and begun hiring and training seasonal staff.
This early preparation provides flexibility to adjust plans as forecasts are refined closer to peak season.
Stress-Test Your Systems Before They’re Stressed
We simulate peak conditions multiple times before the actual rush, explained Marcus, IT director for a home goods retailer. In September, we create artificial load on our systems to identify potential breaking points.
These stress tests should include all critical systems:
- Website and checkout process
- Inventory management
- Order processing workflows
- Shipping and label generation
- Customer service platforms
When Marcus’s team discovered their label printing system bogged down at volume levels 60% below their Black Friday forecast, they had time to implement a solution before actual holiday peak season arrived.
Optimize Your Warehouse Layout
Physical space becomes precious during peak season. Smart companies temporarily reorganize their warehouses to prioritize fast-moving products.
We completely rearrange our picking layout based on what we expect to sell, said Tanya, operations director for a beauty products company. Our top 100 SKUs move to ‘golden zone’ shelving—the most accessible areas closest to packing stations.
This approach dramatically reduces picker travel time for the most common orders. Some operations go even further, creating separate peak season zones with duplicate inventory of bestsellers to reduce congestion in main aisles.
Cross-Train Staff Aggressively
Every fulfillment center I visited emphasized the importance of workforce flexibility.
During normal operations, most of our staff specialize in specific functions, explained David, who manages a 3PL facility serving multiple e-commerce clients. But during peak, we need everyone capable of covering at least three different positions.
This cross-training proves invaluable when absenteeism inevitably occurs during the busiest periods. Rather than having entire workflows bottleneck, managers can quickly reallocate staff to maintain productivity.
Jessica, an HR director, shared their approach: We identify critical skills matrices months in advance and create targeted training programs. By November, each team member has completed at least 40 hours of cross-functional training.
Implement Wave Planning
The most sophisticated operations use wave planning—scheduling specific activities during optimized time blocks—to maximize efficiency during high-volume periods.
We used to just release orders to the floor continuously, but that created chaos during peak, said Michael, whose fulfillment center serves several major e-commerce brands. Now we structure the day into waves with specific priorities.
A typical wave plan might include:
- Early morning: Process all overnight orders with next-day shipping
- Mid-morning: Focus on multi-item orders requiring complex picking
- Late morning: Process single-item orders that can move quickly
- Early afternoon: Handle special packaging requirements
- Late afternoon: Focus on same-day shipping deadlines
This approach prevents the warehouse from becoming overwhelmed and helps maintain quality control during intense periods.
Streamline Packaging Options
During my visits, I noticed a clear trend: companies significantly simplify their packaging choices during peak season.
We normally offer gift wrapping, custom inserts, and special packaging options, explained Sarah, who manages customer experience for a specialty foods retailer. During peak, we limit these choices to prevent bottlenecks in packing stations.
Some brands communicate these temporary limitations as special holiday packaging rather than positioning it as a reduction in options. Others incentivize customers to choose simplified packaging by offering discounts or highlighting environmental benefits.
Partner with Multiple Carriers
Shipping diversity has become essential for peak season success.
We learned the hard way not to rely on a single carrier, admitted Jason, logistics director for an electronics retailer. Two years ago, our primary shipper implemented volume caps during the busiest week of December. We had orders ready to ship and nowhere to send them.
Now, Jason’s company splits volume between three national carriers and supplements with regional providers for specific geographic areas. They’ve also implemented rate-shopping software that automatically selects the optimal carrier for each package based on cost, delivery timeline, and available capacity.
Create a Dedicated Problem-Resolution Team
Even with perfect planning, issues inevitably arise during peak season. The best operations establish dedicated teams focused solely on resolving exceptions.
We call them our ‘SWAT team,’ said Megan, who oversees customer satisfaction for a major e-commerce platform. They handle the complex problems that would otherwise slow down standard processes—order changes, inventory discrepancies, shipping exceptions.
This approach keeps standard fulfillment flowing while ensuring exceptions receive proper attention. Many companies staff these teams with their most experienced employees who have the knowledge to make quick decisions.
Communicate Proactively with Customers
The most successful e-commerce operations view transparent communication as a fulfillment strategy, not just customer service.
During peak season, we send more pre-emptive communications than any other time of year, explained Alex, marketing director for a direct-to-consumer brand. We’d rather set realistic expectations up front than deal with ‘where’s my order’ inquiries later.
Effective communication strategies include:
- Clear messaging about order cutoff dates for holiday delivery
- Automated updates at each stage of fulfillment
- Transparent information about potential delays
- Easy access to order status without contacting customer service
Last year, we added estimated packing and shipping dates directly on the product page during checkout, Alex told me. That single change reduced customer service contacts by 23% during December.
Implement Temporary Returns Solutions
Returns processing can quickly become overwhelmed during and after peak season. Smart companies develop temporary solutions to manage this volume without disrupting outbound operations.
We set up a separate ‘returns annex’ in adjacent rental space, explained Raj, operations manager for a clothing retailer with high return rates. This keeps returns from competing for resources with our primary fulfillment operations.
Other effective approaches include:
- Extending return windows to spread volume over a longer period
- Offering incentives for in-store returns (for retailers with physical locations)
- Implementing streamlined returns processing for peak season
- Temporarily expanding returns staff with specialized training
Real-World Success: How One Retailer Transformed Their Peak Season
Perhaps the most impressive operation I visited belongs to a mid-sized home goods retailer who completely reimagined their approach after a disastrous holiday season three years ago.
We had 40% of our annual orders arrive in a six-week period, and we simply weren’t prepared, their operations director told me. Late shipments, quality issues, and customer service failures damaged our reputation and cost us an estimated $2 million in lost future business.
Their transformation included implementing nearly all the strategies mentioned above, plus developing a sophisticated capacity modeling tool that provides daily forecasts of labor, space, and technology needs throughout peak season.
Now we can predict with 94% accuracy what our fulfillment capacity will be on any given day during peak, she explained. When we see potential shortfalls, we adjust staffing, overtime, or shipping promises accordingly.
The results speak for themselves: despite handling 65% more volume during last year’s peak season compared to their difficult year, they maintained on-time shipping rates above 98% and saw customer satisfaction scores actually increase during the busiest periods.
Start Small if You’re Just Beginning
For smaller e-commerce operations just developing their peak season strategies, trying to implement everything at once can be overwhelming.
Focus first on accurate demand forecasting and early preparation, advised Thomas, who consults with growing e-commerce brands. Even simple improvements like reorganizing your fastest-moving products or cross-training a few key staff members can make a significant difference.
He suggests a crawl-walk-run approach:
- Year one: Focus on space optimization and staffing
- Year two: Implement technology improvements and carrier diversification
- Year three: Develop sophisticated processes like wave planning and exception handling
The most important thing is to document everything during peak season, Thomas emphasized. Track what worked, what didn’t, and start planning for next year while the experience is still fresh.
As e-commerce continues claiming a larger share of holiday shopping each year, the pressure on fulfillment operations will only increase. The companies that thrive will be those that view peak season not as an annual crisis to survive, but as a strategic opportunity they’ve methodically prepared to handle.
Author Bio
Arishekar N. is the director of marketing and business development at AMZ Prep. Bringing decades of experience in driving growth for e-commerce businesses, he has established himself as a thought leader in the digital marketing space.
His expertise spans strategic marketing, e-commerce operations, SEO, advertising, and branding. Arishekar has successfully led numerous campaigns that have yielded specific achievements, such as a 200% increase in online sales for client businesses.
As a regular contributor to respected industry publications, Arishekar shares valuable insights on optimizing online business performance and navigating the ever-changing e-commerce landscape. His data-driven approach and commitment to ethical marketing practices have earned him recognition as a trusted voice in the industry.
Arishekar dedicates his efforts to equipping entrepreneurs and marketers with practical strategies that can significantly enhance their financial performance. For the latest trends, tips, and expert analysis in e-commerce and digital marketing, follow Arishekar N on https://in.linkedin.com/in/arishekar