Survival of the fittest: eCommerce success during peak season

How can eCommerce businesses win peak season?  

Peak eCommerce season is not just a sprint — it’s a marathon. From Black Friday through to Boxing Day, retailers face intense pressure to deliver exceptional customer experience while managing high volumes, tight delivery windows and unpredictable demand. With this period accounting for 40% (or more) of annual revenue for some retailers, peak season performance is critical.

In other articles, we’ve outlined ways businesses can prepare for peak season. Here we outline strategies to help your online store thrive during the thick of it.

Here are some key eCommerce performance areas to work on:

1. Keeping inventory and fulfilment flexible
2. Making transparency a top priority, especially during Black Friday and other cyber sales
3. Streamlining customer support channels
4. Maintaining optimal CX on your website
5. Making real-time updates to promotions and marketing
6. Planning ahead for returns
7. Keeping in close contact with delivery partners to ensure deliveries run smoothly

We dive into the detail below, with tips from some leading Australian retailers.

1. Stay agile with inventory and fulfilment

During peak season, demand can fluctuate daily. Retailers need to monitor inventory levels in real time and be ready to pivot quickly.

• Use predictive analytics to identify fast-moving products and adjust stock levels accordingly.
• Split inventory across multiple fulfilment locations if possible, to reduce delivery times and avoid bottlenecks. This includes shipping from stores and a distribution centre for omnichannel retailers, or using 3PLs located in several states, enabling you to pick stock that’s as close as possible to your customers.
• Automate stock alerts to prevent overselling and ensure customers aren’t disappointed by out-of-stock items. AI tools can help.

T2 is a huge player in the gifting segment – MD Christelle Young says volumes can swell as much as seven-fold over Cyber Weekend. That’s why forecasting is critical for peak, and why retailers look at strategies to flatten that volume over weeks, not days.

Contingency planning also plays a huge role. T2 pulled several business units together ahead of last peak, to formulate their ‘Plan B’.

Christelle told our Peak Performance live broadcast that included looking at all the possible scenarios and deciding:  “what happens if we need to activate Plan B; when do we need to do it? What is the volume we hit that means we activate our Plan B? If we need more people in in our DC, when do we make that call?”.

Planning for everything means no surprises once you’re in the midst of peak season proper.

Peak planning for footwear retailer Bared also means considering every outcome, well ahead of the first big sales.

COO Alexandra McNab says contingency planning for Bared means knowing what to expect, “then adding 20% on top of that - so that you don't fall short if you do exceed your forecasts”.

2. Prioritise shipping transparency

Shipping delays are one of the biggest pain points during peak season – for both seller and buyer. Customers want options to get their goods swiftly – especially if the purchase is a gift - and they want to know exactly when their order will arrive. So, you can:

• Offer multiple delivery speeds, including express and next-day services.
• Display estimated delivery dates clearly at checkout, factoring in Australia Post’s last lodgement dates for pre-Christmas sending. Don’t forget to factor in fulfilment times, if your pick and pack times increase during peak sales.
• Proactively promote the AusPost app and encourage shoppers to self-track parcels as they’re in transit.

For activewear retailer LSKD, transparency is a mantra at peak season.

 “We find the best approach is to be well prepared and transparent with our community. Australia Post supports us in load planning, so we have enough resources available to collect our product and understand quickly if there are any bottlenecks in the delivery network,” says Murilo Fabri, Head of Operations at LSKD.

If that’s the case, adds Kailey Burton, Community Experience Head Coach at LSKD: “we could add this info at checkout – letting people know up front about any dispatch delays. Our community are absolute legends. Most of the time, they expect small delays during peak season, and they’re understanding about small delays during peak season.”

3. What customer support should you offer during peak?

Customer expectations are high during peak season. Fast, empathetic support can turn a frustrated shopper into a loyal one. Here’s what you can do to build loyalty during peak:

• Extend support hours to cover evenings and weekends.
• Use live chat and AI-powered bots to handle common queries instantly.
• Train staff on peak-specific issues, such as dispatch delays, returns and gift orders so there’s never any delay in responding to these queries.

Tip: having templated responses for common issues will ensure consistency and speed in your replies.

4. Optimise website performance and checkout

With increased traffic comes increased risk. A slow website or crashes can cost you where it hurts most – your bottom line. During peak periods, you’ll want to:

• Run daily performance checks to ensure fast load times and mobile responsiveness.
• Simplify the checkout process - fewer clicks, fields to fill in and clear payment options for shoppers.
• Highlight key information, like shipping cut-offs and return policies, prominently.

LSKD does everything possible to remove guesswork during busy times.

Says Kailey, “it always starts with giving our community the right info, at the right time. That means keeping our FAQs, checkout messaging and order confirmation details are up to date, so it’s visible when our community are browsing and the moment they hit ‘add to bag’.”

5. Manage promotions and marketing in real time

Marketing during peak season is a balancing act. You want to respond to trends, competitor activity and customer behaviour. How should you treat your marketing in the thick of peak season? Here are some tips:

• Monitor campaign performance daily and adjust budgets or messaging as needed.
• Use retargeting ads to capture abandoned carts and re-engage past customers.
• Segment email lists to deliver personalised offers based on purchase history or location.

Social media is such a powerful tool during peak. Use it to share shipping updates, highlight bestsellers and respond to customer queries quickly and without needing to dip into your marketing budget.

6. How to prepare for returns after peak season

When you’re snowed under with orders, it’s hard to think about forward planning. But returns are inevitable, especially after Christmas. A painless returns process should be part of your eCommerce strategy, including:

• Offering extended return windows to account for items purchased as gifts.
• Providing clear instructions about your returns policies.
• Is there a way to use returns as a retention opportunity? For example, offering store credit or discounts on future purchases.

Post-peak is also a chance to re-engage customers. Send a thank you, ask for reviews and offer loyalty incentives to keep the relationship going.

7. Collaborate closely with delivery partners

Delivery partners like Australia Post are a critical part of your peak season supply chain. And, as the final mile partner - an extension of your brand to customers. Ensure a smooth peak season, right through to the finish line, by:

• Keeping in close contact with your Account Manager.
• Reviewing communications shared by AP including Christmas cut-off dates and network updates.
• Adding extra pickups, including on weekends where eligible.
• Upgrading to express or next day delivery, to surprise and delight customers, or offer added flexibility and delivery choices.

Bared views peak not as a challenge – but an opportunity to secure loyalty from first-time shoppers. Working with trusted partners is crucial:

“We can’t have a great variation in the level of service between peak and non-peak times, like a degraded experience during sales,” says Bared COO Alexandra McNab.

“You have to project your volume – share it with your partners - and scale for that. Put your customer at the centre of your planning. Every customer interaction, especially during peak, should reflect the standard you want to be known for.”

Final thoughts: performance under pressure

Peak season is a high-stakes environment, but with the right tools, mindset and partners, retailers can thrive. The key is to stay agile, communicate clearly and never lose sight of the customer experience.

For T2, the key takeaway is to always have a Plan B and communicate it with partners like Australia Post. Christelle describes it as “setting your partners up to succeed as an extension of your own brand.”

Kailey’s advice? “Communication is key. Be transparent and provide regular updates to shoppers at peak to ensure a seamless experience.”