Order earlier than feels right
Supplier lead times lengthen exactly when everyone needs stock. A supplier who delivers in three weeks in June may take six in October, and that is when running out costs most.
Work backwards from your peak, add the lead time variability you have actually observed, and place orders before it feels necessary.
Publish cut-offs prominently
- Last order dates per delivery service, calculated properly
- Displayed on the homepage, product pages and in the cart
- Updated as they pass, so nothing misleading remains
- Communicated by email before the deadline, not after
The complaints that follow a seasonal peak are almost entirely about orders that did not arrive in time. Clear cut-offs, prominently displayed, prevent most of them.
Prepare the site
- Confirm caching is working and the store is fast
- Disable non-essential apps for the period
- Check with your host or platform about capacity
- Test checkout specifically, because it cannot be cached
- Have a way to post a notice quickly if something goes wrong
Plan the operations, not just the sales
A peak is a fulfilment problem more than a demand problem. Packing capacity, carrier collections and support response all become the constraint before the website does.
Decide in advance how many orders a day you can actually pack, and what you will do if you exceed it.
Decide the failure plan now
| If | Then |
|---|---|
| Stock runs out | How is the product presented — hidden, back-order, notify? |
| Fulfilment falls behind | Who is told, and how? |
| A carrier fails | Is there an alternative arranged? |
| Support is overwhelmed | What is the holding message? |
Deciding these in November is straightforward. Deciding them at 6pm in December is not.