5 Minute Read

Why Early Action Matters

BFCM is right around the corner. Your competitors aren't waiting for November prep. Neither should you. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are not the time to scramble. They’re when your fulfillment strategy needs to deliver. Waiting until the last minute risks missed sales, overwhelmed teams, and unhappy customers.

Acting now gives you time to pressure-test systems, fine-tune operations, and avoid preventable mistakes. Early prep means fewer errors, faster deliveries, and better customer reviews when it counts most. Here’s where to focus now so you’re not playing catch-up later.

Check Your Inventory Now

All the planning and strategy in the world won’t matter if you don’t have the inventory to back it up. BFCM is a high-stakes sales window. The last thing you want is to run out of your bestsellers mid-promo. 

Start by digging into last year’s BFCM sales data. Look at what moved quickly, what sold out, and what sat on the shelves. That historical insight is your secret weapon for predicting demand and placing smarter purchase orders this year.

But it’s not just about having enough stock. It’s also about how you organize it. Take the time now to clean up your inventory management system. Ensure your top SKUs are easily accessible and your fulfillment team can pick, pack, and ship efficiently. Stocking early helps avoid supplier delays, backorders, and last-minute scrambles when orders spike. A well-prepped warehouse today is the key to faster fulfillment and happier customers when the rush hits.

Automate Where You Can

BFCM is your busiest season. Every minute counts. You don’t have time to manage every step of the fulfillment process manually. The more you can automate now, the more time and energy you’ll have to focus on what matters most: running your business and delivering a great customer experience. Innovative eCommerce fulfillment strategies aren’t just about speed. They’re about efficiency and scalability.

Start by using order management tools to take routine tasks off your plate. Develop workflows and BFCM-specific landing pages. Automate things like label printing, tracking updates, and syncing sales channels with your inventory and shipping platforms. This not only reduces human error, but also ensures customers get timely updates and accurate shipments. By automating the busywork, you free up your team to handle exceptions and provide real support when needed. It’s not just about working faster. It’s about working smarter, especially when the orders start flying in.

Get Your Warehouse Ready

Your strategy is solid, your marketing is locked in, and your promotions are ready. But if your warehouse isn’t prepared, the whole plan can fall apart. Fulfillment is where all your BFCM efforts come to life. It’s often where the cracks start to show. Don’t let logistics be your downfall. Get ahead of the chaos by preparing your warehouse now. When the orders start rolling in, you want it to be smooth sailing.

Ensure your team is trained on fast, accurate picking and packing. If you plan to hire seasonal help, do it early while qualified labor is still available. Stock up on packaging materials, shipping labels, and anything else you’ll need to keep things moving without interruption. Double-check your scanners, printers, and internet connection to avoid slowdowns or outages during crunch time. A well-prepped warehouse means fewer mistakes, faster fulfillment, and happy customers returning long after BFCM.

Offer Flexible Shipping Options

In a world of endless options, customers can and will bounce from store to store until they find one that meets their shipping needs. During BFCM, that decision happens in seconds. If you don’t offer flexible and transparent shipping options, you risk losing the sale before it begins. Be the store that keeps shoppers from clicking away. Offering the right shipping choices makes you the first and last stop for holiday buyers.

Start by giving customers options such as standard, express, or even same-day delivery. Set precise cut-off dates for holiday shipping and display them prominently on your site. Show estimated delivery times in the checkout process so buyers know exactly what to expect. And don’t forget tracking updates. When customers can follow their package in real time, they’re less likely to flood your support inbox with “Where’s my order?” emails. Flexibility, clarity, and communication are what keep carts from being abandoned and customers coming back.

Planning for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Grab our eCommerce playbook with proven strategies, timelines, and conversion tips to help you win the season.

Simplify Returns

Though returns may seem like a negative, they are actually a powerful opportunity to build trust and long-term loyalty. Shoppers remember how you handle issues just as much as how you fulfill orders. A smooth, stress-free return experience can turn a one-time buyer into a repeat customer, especially during the high-pressure BFCM season.

Start by creating a simple, easy-to-find return policy that is clearly written and easy to understand. Offer prepaid return labels and include packaging instructions to make the process painless for your customers. Consider using a returns portal or app to automate and streamline the experience. Be sure to communicate your return window up front so there is no confusion after the holidays. When customers know they can shop with confidence, they are more likely to complete their purchase and come back for more.

Test Your Systems Now

You’ve planned and strategized all year, so don’t let preventable mistakes undo your hard work at the last minute. One of the most effective ways to prepare for the BFCM rush is to run a small test sale or flash promotion before the holiday season kicks off. This gives you real-world insight into how your systems perform under pressure and helps you catch issues early, not when your order volume is at its peak.

During your test, pay close attention to how inventory updates, how orders flow through your system, and how shipments are processed. Look for any slow points, bottlenecks, or glitches that could cause delays or confusion once BFCM is in full swing. Identifying and fixing these problems now will help you avoid customer service headaches and fulfillment chaos later. A little pre-season testing goes a long way in ensuring a smooth and successful holiday sales period.

Communicate With Your Partners

If you expect your partners to support you during BFCM, you need to support them first. Clear, proactive communication with suppliers, carriers, and fulfillment partners is key to avoiding last-minute surprises and keeping operations running smoothly. When your partners know what’s coming, they can better prepare to meet your needs during the busiest shopping days of the year.

Start by checking in with your vendors about lead times and stock availability. Make sure your suppliers can handle your projected order volumes and timelines. Connect with your shipping carriers to confirm delivery timelines and understand holiday-specific capacity limits. Share your promotions calendar so everyone is aligned on when to expect order spikes. Finally, review and confirm all service-level agreements in advance. Strong coordination now helps you avoid costly delays and build stronger relationships that will pay off beyond BFCM.

Track KPIs Daily

Let the data do the work for you during BFCM. Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) like daily order volume, shipping times, and return rates gives you the real-time insights to stay agile, optimize your site, and respond quickly to fulfillment challenges. When you track these metrics closely, you can spot trends and bottlenecks early, before they become bigger problems.

Use dashboards and reporting tools to keep your finger on the pulse of your fulfillment operations throughout the holiday rush. Keep your customer service teams in the loop so they can proactively address any issues customers may experience. If you notice slowdowns or spikes, adjust staffing levels or automation workflows immediately to keep orders moving smoothly. Staying data-driven and flexible during BFCM ensures you can fix problems on the fly and keep customers happy from checkout to delivery.

BFCM Fulfillment Tips That Turn Chaos Into Growth

Preparing now gives you a huge edge when orders flood in during BFCM. By automating key processes, communicating clearly with your partners, and thoroughly testing your systems ahead of time, you can reduce stress and avoid costly mistakes. Great fulfillment isn’t just about handling the holiday rush. It’s about creating loyal customers who keep coming back long after the season ends. 

Smart Solutions has successfully helped clients navigate and maneuver the BFCM fulfillment process. We want to help you too. Let’s get on a call and kickstart the process early with a fulfillment strategy tailored to your business. We’ll set you up for the most successful BFCM yet.

Great fulfillment is about more than getting through peak season. It’s your opportunity to earn trust, deliver reliably, and build long-term customer loyalty. When your fulfillment works, your brand shines. And Smart Solutions is here to make sure that happens.

 

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