The week of Black Friday is always like a huuugee chaos for D2C companies. Your performance over those few days can make or break your entire year. But complex supply chains and fickle consumer demand make it far from a sure thing. So we're grateful to Kathleen for creating this comprehensive list of to-do's for the Black Friday period!
At this point we assume you’ve already done the super-advance planning (and hopefully used Kathleen's BFCM checklist for that ). And this is where coordination across teams is critical to get you across that finish line.
Now for a more detailed approach to ecommerce operations, keep reading or download the checklist we prepared for you!
Scroll down to find a copy of the checklist on Google Docs! :)
Industry statistics show just how intense the peak holiday season is: Online sales on Black Friday reached $9.12 billion in 2022, up 2.3% from 2021
🤓 2024 predictions for Black Friday Overall holiday retail sales are projected to grow between 4-6% year-over-year according to Deloitte and Mastercard SpendingPulse. Despite a slowing economy, online sales during this holiday season are forecast to grow 12.8%. For Black Friday specifically, total online sales are predicted to grow 1-3% compared to 2022 based on current projections. The National Retail Federation forecasts holiday sales during November and December will grow between 6-8% reaching $960 – $960 billion. Consumers are expected to start holiday shopping even earlier this year to spread out spending. Retailers will offer deep discounts and deals both online and in-store to motivate hesitant shoppers as well as move excess inventory. Curbside pickup and other omnichannel services will continue growing in popularity. Product shortages and supply chain issues may impact availability for some hot ticket items.
📝 Your Black Friday Countdown Checklist Use this comprehensive Black Friday/Cyber Monday readiness checklist for key departments like e-commerce, marketing, operations, warehousing and finance. Proper preparation can help you avoid website crashes, stockouts, delivery delays, and poor customer experiences that could cost you when it matters most.
With this checklist, you can methodically get every aspect of your e-commerce business ready for the lucrative but high-stakes Black Friday rush. The two weeks leading up to the big day are critical. From finalizing promotions to scaling up servers, to expanding seasonal staffing, our checklist has you covered.
👀 Before Black Friday Cyber Monday Ecommerce: Load promotions and test by Monday (Nov 18) Stress test site capacity by Wednesday (Nov 20) Confirm email templates are ready by Thursday (Nov 21) Create banner ads by Friday (Nov 22) Freeze website changes by Monday (Nov 25) Load Black Friday promotions and test by Monday (Nov 25) Publicize holiday customer service hours by Wednesday (Nov 27) Stress test site capacity by Wednesday (Nov 27) Optimize page speed by Wednesday (Nov 27)
Operations: Confirm seasonal staffing by Monday (Nov 18) Lock in additional warehouse pickups by Thursday (Nov 21) Ensure packing supplies fully stocked by Friday (Nov 22) Lock in additional warehouse pickups by Wednesday (Nov 27) Confirm pick up schedules with shipping partners by Friday (Nov 24) Check out Kathleen's article on how to find the best 3PL !
Marketing: Finalize email campaigns by Tuesday (Nov 19) Place ad buys by Tuesday (Nov 19) Develop social media content by Friday (Nov 22) Brief PR agency on deals for press releases by Wednesday (Nov 20) Finalize email campaigns by Tuesday (Nov 26) Brief social media team on posting strategy by Wednesday (Nov 26) Send email previews for Cyber Monday by Friday (Nov 29) Develop social media content for Cyber Monday by Friday (Nov 29) Check out our guide for successful marketing !
Merchandising: Confirm vendor discounts and inventory by Tuesday (Nov 19) Finalize product bundles by Thursday (Nov 19) Decide storefront display locations by Friday (Nov 22) Plan store merchandising by Tuesday (Nov 26) Confirm vendor discounts and inventory by Tuesday (Nov 26) Finalize product bundles by Tuesday (Nov 26) Confirm store inventory levels by Wednesday (Nov 26) Finance: Re-forecast sales based on promos by Wednesday (Nov 20) Review inventory budget by Thursday (Nov 21) Confirm terms with payment processors by Friday (Nov 22) Review fraud prevention SOP by Wednesday (Nov 27) Re-forecast sales based on promos by Wednesday (Nov 27) 🏄 On Black Friday Cyber Monday Week Ecommerce: Monitor site performance in real-time and be ready to quickly fix any issues Keep close eye on web traffic, sales volumes, conversion rates Update site and social media with new deals and offers for Cyber Monday Remove sold out product pages and update inventory quantities Send automated order confirmations and shipping updates to customers Marketing: Execute email campaigns for Cyber Monday Post about deals on social media and respond to comments/questions Run retargeting ads for abandoned carts over the weekend Analyze performance of promotions and advertisements Operations: Keep on top of order fulfillment and shipping to meet delivery estimates Provide frequent warehouse staffing updates and adjustments as needed Add warehouse pickups/drop-offs if required for demand Track hours worked for seasonal team members Customer Service: Have expanded staffing scheduled to provide 24/7 support Closely monitor queues/wait times and adjust staffing if needed Identify common questions and issues to quickly provide answers Monitor social media for complaints and respond promptly Provide order status updates and information on shipping delays Finance: Review daily sales and return numbers Verify credit card payments are processing properly Watch out for signs of fraud and blacklist suspicious transactions Ensure taxes are calculated correctly on all orders Warehouse Operations: Review staffing schedule and make adjustments as needed for call-outs Ensure inventory is properly sorted and fast movers easily accessible Coordinate additional pickups/drop-offs with shipping partners as required Closely monitor inventory levels and reallocate stock between warehouses as certain items sell out Keep packing stations stocked with needed supplies – boxes, tape, labels Track hourly headcount and hours worked for seasonal team members Provide frequent performance updates to operations management Brief staff on Cyber Monday expectations and plans Did you see our guide for succesful inventory management ?
🖥️ After Black Friday Cyber Monday Customer Service: Respond to influx of questions about orders, shipping delays, returns Add seasonal support staffing to handle call/email volume Monitor social media for complaints and respond promptly Identify common questions/issues and create FAQs for website Survey customers on support experience and identify improvements Review staffing needs and retain top performers if needed Train team on December holiday policies and common issues Update customer service knowledge base with new products and promos Analyze support tickets to identify problems for next year Ecommerce: Remove sold out product pages Update inventory quantities Monitor for website issues from traffic surge Plan January website releases Operations: Process returns and exchanges quickly Evaluate staffing needs and make adjustments Ensure warehouses are restocked for December orders Analyze turn rate, adjust projections accordingly Place POs for replacement inventory Warehouse Operations: Begin processing high volume of returns and exchanges Evaluate warehouse staffing needs and adjust schedules Restock inventory levels on top selling items from Black Friday Run inventory counts and update system on quantities Identify process bottlenecks or inefficiencies to improve for next year Evaluate seasonal staff and decide on conversions or terminations Gather feedback from warehouse teams on Black Friday successes and areas for improvement Return facility to normal layouts and put back any moved inventory Marketing: Send personalized thank you and feedback emails Analyze performance of promotions and ads Launch December holiday email campaigns Develop January email campaigns Develop 12 month promo plan for next year Merchandising: Replenish top selling products Replace poor performing products with new items Plan end-of-season clearance sales Finance: Assess Black Friday sales data Adjust future projections based on insights gained Monitor for Black Friday return fraud Executive: Review Black Friday results by department Celebrate wins with team Start planning strategy for 2024
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR OWN COPY OF THIS CHECKLIST
Executing a flawless Black Friday with peak sales requires extensive coordination across complex operations, often while managing dated legacy systems. Attempting this purely through manual efforts leaves unnecessary room for human error and inefficiency.
That’s why partnering with our team of seasoned retail consultants can provide an attractive ROI. We bring expertise in streamlining omni-channel retail operations and supply chains honed over years assisting major brands optimize for Black Friday.
By leveraging automated solutions and systems integration capabilities, we can save you countless manual working hours while minimizing mistakes. Implement analytics dashboards to provide real-time visibility into your performance. Based on average consulting fees and efficiency improvements, hiring us has generated over 15% ROI for past clients through:
Increased efficiency in order processing Reduction of problems caused by manual entry errors Reduced labor costs through optimized staffing Lower inventory waste and stockouts Faster shipping times and improved customer satisfaction
This Peak Season will be here before you know it.
If you reached this point, well, thank you! Please consider following D2CVille on social media and contacting us if you’d like to be a guest in one of these podcast episodes!
And check out Kathleen's website for getting some help with your Operations and Logistics!
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