Peak season challenges: how to prepare your e-commerce logistics

Peak season is one of the most exciting times of the year for e-commerce businesses. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Singles' Day and Christmas can all bring a significant increase in orders in a relatively short period of time.

Great for sales. But all those extra orders also put your logistics operation to the test. And getting your logistics right matters before an order is even placed.

According to DHL's 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report, 82% of Black Friday shoppers say they would abandon their basket if their preferred delivery option isn't available at checkout.

Processes that work perfectly well throughout the rest of the year can suddenly come under pressure when volumes rise. And when several parts of your operation get busier at the same time, being prepared can make all the difference.

So, where does that pressure come from, and what can you do before peak season starts?

1. Higher order volumes put your warehouse under pressure

The most obvious peak season challenge starts as soon as orders come in.

A sudden increase in volume means your warehouse needs to pick, pack, label and hand over far more orders without necessarily having more time to do it. That can quickly expose bottlenecks in your warehouse operation.

And when teams are working under more pressure, small mistakes become easier to make. The wrong product ends up in a parcel, an address is entered incorrectly or an order misses the daily cut-off.

This makes it important to look at your warehouse capacity before peak season starts.

Use previous order data to estimate when you expect the biggest peaks and how much capacity you will need. Make sure popular products and packaging materials are sufficiently stocked and consider whether additional staff or shifts will be necessary.

It can also help to look at repetitive manual tasks. Automating processes such as order import, carrier selection and shipping label creation reduces the amount of manual work required for every individual order. That becomes particularly valuable when order volumes start climbing.

2. Delivery networks get busier

Your own warehouse isn't the only place dealing with higher volumes.

During Black Friday and the weeks leading up to Christmas, carriers process significantly more parcels across their networks. The fourth quarter therefore creates a clear seasonal peak in parcel logistics, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

Add winter weather, traffic and other unexpected disruptions, and delivery times can become less predictable than during quieter periods.

You can't control everything that happens after a parcel leaves your warehouse. What you can control is how flexible your shipping setup is.

A multi-carrier strategy gives you access to different carrier services and delivery options instead of relying on a single setup for every shipment. Depending on the destination, shipment requirements and customer preference, you can use the option that best fits each shipment.

Shipping rules can take some of that decision-making out of your team's hands. Instead of manually choosing a service for every order, predefined rules can automatically assign shipments based on criteria such as destination, weight or shipping method.

It is also worth checking carrier cut-off times, collection schedules and peak season surcharges in advance. That way, you know what to expect before volumes start increasing.

3. Packaging matters even more during peak season

When orders need to leave the warehouse quickly, packing speed matters. But speed shouldn't come at the expense of protection.

More parcels moving through warehouses and delivery networks means more handling. Packaging therefore needs to be suitable for both the product and the journey ahead.

Before peak season, review whether your most frequently used boxes, protective materials and packing methods still match the products you ship. Avoid oversized packaging where possible and make sure fragile or sensitive products receive the protection they need.

Clear packing instructions can also help temporary or additional warehouse staff work consistently during the busiest weeks.

And don't forget your packaging stock itself. Running out of the right box or filling material in the middle of Black Friday week is a peak season challenge you can avoid with a little planning.

4. More parcels can mean more customer questions

Higher order volumes don't just affect your warehouse. They can also increase the pressure on customer service.

The harsh truth? Your busiest time of the year is still business as usual for your customers.

And one question in particular tends to take up valuable time: "Where is my order?"

Customers want to know whether their parcel has left the warehouse, where it is and when they can expect it. When delivery takes longer than expected and tracking information isn't clear, they are more likely to contact customer service themselves.

During peak season, those individual questions can quickly add up.

Proactive tracking communication helps prevent that. Send customers tracking information as soon as their order is on its way and keep them informed when the shipment status changes.

Branded tracking pages and automatic notifications can give customers access to the information they are looking for without having to contact your team.

This isn't only about reducing Where Is My Order (WISMO) enquiries. Delivery has become an important part of the buying decision itself. DHL's 2025 research found that three out of four shoppers won't buy from a retailer if they don't trust the delivery and returns provider.

Clear communication before and after checkout can therefore make a real difference.

5. Peak season is followed by return season

All Christmas orders delivered? Don’t put your feet up just yet.

For many e-commerce businesses, the end of the shopping rush marks the beginning of another busy period: returns.

Customers send back unwanted gifts, products that don't fit or purchases that simply weren't what they expected. Your warehouse then needs to receive those parcels, identify the items, inspect them and determine what happens next.

That makes returns something to prepare for before peak season rather than something to think about afterwards.

Start by making your return policy easy to find and understand. Decide which return options you want to offer and make sure customers know how to start and track a return.

Inside your operation, think about what happens when those parcels arrive back at the warehouse. Who processes them? How quickly can returned products be inspected? And how soon can sellable items go back into stock?

The faster you can process returns, the sooner products can become available for sale again.

It is also worth analysing why products come back. If the same item is repeatedly returned because of sizing, unclear images or an inaccurate description, improving that information may help prevent similar returns in the future.

Preparing for peak season with a multi-carrier strategy

There is no single solution to every peak season challenge. You can't control the weather, eliminate every return or predict exactly how many orders will arrive on Black Friday.
But you can build more flexibility into your logistics before the pressure increases.

With a multi-carrier logistics solution, you can use different delivery services across your markets while managing shipments from one place. Combine that with automated shipping rules, real-time tracking and a clear returns process, and your team has fewer manual decisions to make when volumes increase.

This is where Shipcloud can help. From multi-carrier shipping and automated shipping rules to tracking and returns, Shipcloud supports your parcel logistics across Europe.
So when peak season brings more orders, your logistics are ready to handle them.

Want to make this your best peak season yet?