Sales seasons, such as Black Friday, 11.11, Lunar New Year, and major holidays, are golden opportunities for e-commerce businesses to accelerate their revenue. But with the surge comes a familiar problem: a sudden spike in orders, customers waiting by the hour, while warehousing and operations become clogged.

Many brands have “collapsed” due to being unable to process thousands of orders in just a few days, leading to complaints, returns, negative reviews, and reputational damage. So, how can businesses manage fulfillment efficiently during peak seasons without running into bottlenecks?

This article presents a practical strategy and a 7-item checklist to prepare in advance, extremely useful whether you’re handling fulfillment in-house or outsourcing it.

Why Is Fulfillment Prone to Bottlenecks During Sales?

• Order volumes increase 5–10 times compared to normal days.
• Promotions and discounts make “hot” products go out of stock.
• Warehouse staff can’t pack and process fast enough.
• System integration issues cause order duplication, errors, or delays.
• Courier services become overloaded, causing delivery delays.

Just one weak link can cause a domino effect throughout the entire fulfillment chain. Customers don’t care how many orders you have — they only care about fast, accurate, on-time delivery.

7-Item Checklist to Prepare Before Sales Seasons

Standardize Product and Order Data

Incorrect SKUs, duplicate codes, and unclear descriptions slow down packing or cause errors. Before the sales season:

• Review all product data: SKU codes, categories, sizes, weights, and images.
• Check API connections with marketplaces (Shopee, Tiki, Lazada…) or websites (Shopify, Woo).
• Ensure that new orders are automatically pushed to the fulfillment system.

Pro tip: Pre-bundle combo products to reduce the number of individual order lines to process.

Forecast Order Volume in Tiers

Forecasting by hour – day – campaign is key for preparing manpower, materials, and space.

Example:

• Normal: 200 orders/day
• Sales season: 1,500 orders/day → 7.5x increase → need 3–4x staff and extra packing stations

Tip:
Use data from 2–3 previous campaigns to create growth projections.
Categorize orders by priority tiers: VIP → Flash Sales → Regular orders

Optimize the Packing Process and Warehouse Layout

Every second matters. A smart warehouse layout can save hours of labor daily.

• Create a one-way flow: picking → packing → labeling → dispatch.
• Use mobile shelving, carts, and simple conveyor belts.
• Group orders by delivery region for faster dispatch.
• Pre-pack standard-size packaging (A4, A5, 1kg box, 3kg box, etc.).

Hire and Train Seasonal Staff in Advance

Nothing delays operations more than an untrained team.

• Hire seasonal staff 1–2 weeks early and train them properly: how to read orders, pick items, scan barcodes, and pack correctly.
• Assign experienced supervisors at key bottleneck points.

Coordinate Early with Delivery Partners

Orders may be ready, but if the courier is late… It’s still stuck.

• Send order forecasts to delivery partners at least 5–7 days in advance.
• Request additional trips or manpower support.
• If possible, use multi-pickup per day services.

Stock Alert and Inventory Optimization

Stockouts are common, but poor inventory control can lead to overselling and under-delivering, resulting in returns and customer loss.

• Set stock depletion alerts.
• Hide “hot” products once they drop below the safety threshold.
• Use WMS or real-time inventory reports.

Have a Backup Plan Ready

No campaign is perfect. Be prepared for:

• Equipment failures (printers, barcode scanners…) → have backups ready.
• Staff absenteeism → Have replacements on standby.
• Delivery delays → prepare apology messages/SMS templates and offer vouchers.

Benefits of Smooth Fulfillment Operations During Sales

• Maximize revenue: No bottlenecks = no missed sales.
• Improve customer experience: Fast, accurate delivery keeps customers loyal.
• Optimize long-term costs: Fewer returns, lower overstock, and more efficient operations.
• Build post-sales growth: A great campaign retains thousands of potential customers.

In-House or Outsourced Fulfillment?

For many SMEs, handling fulfillment in-house during sales campaigns is costly, time-consuming, and risky. Outsourcing to a professional fulfillment provider helps you:

• Access standardized warehouses and integrated WMS technology.
• Scale up seamlessly without investing in extra labor or space.
• Ensure fast, timely deliveries with clearly defined SLAs.

Outsourced Fulfillment – The Key to Sales Season Growth

For businesses that want to focus on sales, marketing, and customer service, outsourcing fulfillment is a strategic move.

Why choose Vietnam Post Logistics?

Vietnam Post Logistics is one of Vietnam’s leading logistics providers, offering comprehensive services including warehousing, international and domestic transportation, and cross-border fulfillment.

To meet the rising demand for international e-commerce, we provide end-to-end fulfillment solutions including:

• Pickup, warehousing, packing, labeling, international shipping, and last-mile delivery.

Key advantages:

• Delivery network to 230+ countries and territories
• Direct integration with the global postal system (UPU) across 192 countries
• Strategic airline partnerships ensure air cargo capacity during peak seasons
• Modern international-standard bonded and e-commerce fulfillment warehouses in key locations
• A professional, experienced team operating 24/7

Sales seasons are a growth opportunity, but also a stress test for operations. A single bottleneck can damage the entire customer experience.

Instead of going it alone, businesses should invest in robust fulfillment systems or confidently outsource to experts to handle orders efficiently, quickly, and cost-effectively.

Vietnam Post Logistics is a reliable, full-service fulfillment partner to help you accelerate during sales seasons and sustain long-term growth.

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