How to prepare your business for Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Black Friday & Cyber Monday can bring a big increase in orders. That’s great news for your business, of course, but it also means your fulfilment and shipping processes need to be ready for the rush. Preparing early can help you avoid unnecessary delays, keep your orders moving and give your customers a better experience – no matter how busy things get. 

From packaging materials and printing waybills to delivery addresses and customer communication, here are some practical ways to get your business ready for the Black Friday rush. 

Register for our upcoming webinar, where we’ll share practical tips to help you get your business ready for Black Friday & Cyber Monday.

Only fulfil orders that are ready to go

Only fulfil shipments once they have been picked, packed and are ready for collection. Picking and packing slips can help your team prepare orders efficiently and make sure parcels are ready when the driver arrives.

Before you fulfil an order, double-check the delivery address and make sure it has been correctly geocoded. This can help prevent delivery mishaps caused by incorrect or incomplete address information, which in turn helps to eliminate delays and customer frustration.

It’s also important to check that every parcel has the correct waybill attached. A quick check before collection can help prevent mix-ups and delivery errors, especially when order volumes are high. Sending the wrong order to the wrong customer will result in extra costs and delays, and it’s never a good look. 

Keep proof of collection

Always ask the driver to sign a proof of collection for your parcel, and file these documents in an organised way in case you need to follow up on a late or missing parcel.

Having a record of what was collected can make it easier to provide the necessary information if you have to raise a query with your delivery partner, and helps to keep everyone accountable.

Know your delivery partners' terms

Before the Black Friday & Cyber Monday rush begins, familiarise yourself with your delivery partners' insurance policies and terms and conditions. Knowing what is covered and what the relevant processes are can help you understand your responsibilities if a parcel is lost or damaged. It’s also important to check shipping restrictions before sending your parcels. Some items may be prohibited or require special handling, so knowing the rules in advance can help you avoid rejected shipments and unnecessary delays.

Stock up on stationery and packaging

Make sure you also know which delivery partners you are shipping with and have the correct stationery available for each one. This will also help with accurately identifying parcels, especially when you’re shipping multiple, similar packages at the same time. 

The last thing you want during Black Friday & Cyber Monday is to run out of packaging or delivery partner stationery.

Order your stationery well ahead of time and make sure you are ordering from the correct delivery partners based on who you are shipping with. It is worth planning for increased demand and ordering extra stock, so you don’t run out at the worst possible moment. 

The same goes for your packaging materials. Make sure you have enough stock and that your packaging is sturdy enough to withstand handling and transportation. Good packaging can help prevent product damage and reduce the time and costs associated with returns. Something as mundane as brown packing tape can really slow down your operations if you run out. 

For tried and tested tips on optimising your packaging, check out our packaging playlist on YouTube.

Set realistic delivery expectations

Black Friday & Cyber Monday put increased pressure on couriers, so it is important to set realistic expectations with your customers. Customers understand this, but they’re also naturally excited and impatient to receive their purchases. Managing their expectations can take a lot of the frustration out of the experience. It’s always better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around. 

In the run-up to Black Friday & Cyber Monday, review and update your website, order confirmation email templates, rates at checkout days, and other customer touchpoints with realistic delivery timeframes. If you’re expecting delays due to increased demand, let customers know as early as possible.

Make sure your Bob Go plan works for you

Before Black Friday & Cyber Monday arrive, check that you are on the right Bob Go plan for your business and expected order volumes.

If you need additional features or dedicated support to help manage your increased shipping requirements, it’s easy to upgrade to a different plan for additional support and capacity. Because our plans are designed to grow with your business, you can be sure that we have the tools and support you need in place before orders skyrocket. 

Prepare now, ship with confidence

A little preparation can go a long way during the run-up to Black Friday & Cyber Monday, and beyond. By getting your packaging and stationery ready, checking addresses and waybills, keeping proof of collection and communicating realistic delivery times, you can put your business in a stronger position to thrive during the peak season and make it a launchpad for sustainable business growth.

To stay up to date with the latest shipping updates and important announcements during the peak season, keep an eye on our newsletters and dashboard notices.

Looking for more ways to prepare for Black Friday & Cyber Monday? Visit our BFCM resource hub for tips to help you get your business ready for the busiest shopping period of the year.

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