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The Online Retail Countdown to Christmas

Press Release

By: Zendor
25 October 2004

Preparing for Christmas is a hectic time whether you are a consumer or a retailer. For those involved in distance shopping, it is an especially important time of year as more consumers than ever before are turning to mail order and the Internet in order to avoid the Christmas rush, choosing instead to browse from the comfort of their own homes.

In order to make the most of the festive period, those involved in distance shopping need to be fully prepared. What many new to this channel may not realise is that planning for Christmas is a year-long event with Christmas ‘starting’ for real in October. Bearing this in mind, and since it is the season of goodwill, Zendor has prepared a countdown to ensure the lead up to Christmas runs smoothly, bringing optimum sales for this year, and many years to come:

• 12 months before Christmas - start thinking about next year’s Christmas stock.
• 11 months before Christmas - learn from last Christmas. What issues arose and how can they be avoided this year to guarantee everything runs like clockwork?
• 10 months before Christmas - select this year’s stock and prepare forecasts. Now is the ideal time to order the Christmas stock.
• 9 months before Christmas - ensure the forecast is correct and the team makes sufficient plans. Efficient communication is the key to achieving success at Christmas.
• 8 months before Christmas - start thinking about booking contract call centre and warehouse staff in order to ensure the right calibre and quantity of staff is available to cope with the Christmas rush.
• 7 months before Christmas - begin sending stock to the warehouse; select and brief carriers.
• 6 months before Christmas - preparation for returns should be underway.
• 5 months before Christmas - begin brand and product training for new recruits.
• 4 months before Christmas - the new recruits begin to join the team, giving them plenty of time to ‘settle in’.
• 3 months before Christmas - carry out at least two weeks of test orders by phone, e-mail and web, to ensure that any problems are ironed out.
• 2 months before Christmas - put call centre scripts in place and familiarise staff with products, packaging and services. They should feel confident dealing with all possible customer queries.
• 1 month before Christmas - use express delivery streams where necessary to get orders out in final days before Christmas.

By following these guidelines, the retailer will enjoy a profitable, stress-free Christmas. Zendor wishes all distance shopping retailers a Merry Christmas with high sales and low returns for the festive season.