Make speed and cost obvious from the first click
Last-mile delivery holidays pressure websites and ops alike, so set expectations early. Put delivery dates, cutoffs and fees next to the Buy button, not deep in checkout. Offer a clear ladder of options—standard, expedited, same-day or pickup—and default to the best value. Shoppers prioritize fast and free above most factors; transparent trade-offs lower abandonment and reduce WISMO contacts later. Add a countdown for cutoffs and show location-aware ETAs that reflect real capacity, not best-case math.
Expand flexible fulfillment to absorb peaks
Peak demand overwhelms single-carrier strategies. Blend national parcel with regionals, same-day couriers and BOPIS to widen delivery windows and lower miles traveled. Use rules that reroute by ZIP, weight and promise date to avoid bottlenecks. During the last 72 hours before key holidays, shift long-tail ZIPs to pickup options and highlight nearby stores with inventory. Flexible options consistently raise conversion for value-seeking shoppers and protect margins when surcharges spike.
Trackability and proactive comms reduce friction
Customers want precise parcel visibility and fast issue resolution. Send real-time status with one branded tracker that unifies all carriers. Proactively notify when an order risks missing its promise and offer in-flight switches—hold at location, alternate address or pickup. A short, templated playbook for exceptions—address errors, missed scans, weather holds—cuts resolution time and preserves NPS even when the network is strained.
Engineer routes and packaging for peak reality
Optimize for stops per hour, not theoretical route distance. Cluster dense ZIPs, cap dwell times and prioritize first-attempt success with delivery notes and safe-drop policies where appropriate. Right-size packaging to protect goods without DIM penalties; standardize a holiday kit list to speed pack-out. For apartments, preload access instructions and bundle deliveries by building to avoid repeated failed attempts that erode both cost and CX.
Measure the few metrics that matter
Track promise-kept rate, first-attempt success, on-time by service level and WISMO per 1,000 orders. Layer tokens like cost per successful delivery and “minutes to first scan” to spot upstream delays. During returns season, monitor time-to-refund and drop-off proximity—both strongly influence repeat purchase. After peak, run a post-mortem that maps misses to root causes: capacity planning, carrier mix, pick/pack throughput or communications gaps, then lock improvements into next year’s calendar.
Source: McKinsey