Best Practices for Holiday Shipping

Navigate the holiday rush with ease! From managing orders to ensuring your packages arrive on time, explore our top tips to keep your shipping stress-free and your customers happy this season.

The holiday season is approaching, bringing with it the busiest shipping period of the year. Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the peak holiday rush, there will be a surge in orders that can quickly overwhelm both businesses and carriers alike. Start planning early to avoid stress and ensure your packages reach their destinations in time. From understanding shipping cut-off dates to managing inventory, thoughtful preparation can make all the difference.

Chit Chats is here to guide you through the best practices for holiday shipping so you can navigate the season with ease!

Inventory and Supplies

With an increase in orders, the potential for stock shortages arise. It can help to stock up on your best-selling items to avoid running into supply issues. Order more than usual to ensure that you can meet the demand and keep your customers happy.

In addition to keeping your inventory full, prepare your shipping supplies well in advance. Last-minute scrambling for materials can cause unnecessary headaches and delays, so stay ahead of the madness. Depending on your business, you may need items like:

• Poly mailers
• Kraft mailers
• Bubble cushioning wrap
• Courier bags
• Sealing tape
• Thermal labels

If you don’t already have a label printer, now is the perfect time to invest in one. Label printers help streamline the shipping process, allowing you to quickly print labels and significantly boost your efficiency—especially during the busy season.

The best part? You don’t need to look far for these supplies. Consider Chit Chats Supplies, we have a wide selection of products, from shipping materials to label printers and more. Plus, you can pick up your supplies for free from any Chit Chats branch helping you keep your costs low while staying prepared.

Preparing Your Shipments for the Holiday Rush

Ensuring your shipments are prepared and compliant with regulations is key to avoiding delays and ensuring smooth deliveries. Use our handy checklist to keep things on track so you can cover all your bases. 

Compliance is Key

• Double-check that your packages adhere to Chit Chats and customs guidelines (if applicable). 
• Labels should be clear and easily readable
• Packaging should be in good condition (avoid boxes and mailers that are ripped and unsturdy) and appropriately sized for the contents. 
• While overwraps might seem like a nice touch, they can cause shipment delays, so it’s best to avoid them; however, your shipment will not be refused as long as you understand the risk. For more details, take a look at our packaging and labeling tips to ensure your shipments stay on course.

Weigh and Measure Accurately

• Declare your weight and dimensions accurately – not only will this help keep your postage costs low but avoid postage adjustments.
• Use a tape measure and a reliable scale to verify that the dimensions and weight are correct, especially if you have presets or import orders from your ecommerce store. Remember the weight and dimensions should be taken after packaging up your goods! 

🚩Inaccurately declared dimensions or weight can lead to delays, returns, and unwanted postage adjustments—definitely not something you want during the busy holiday season!

Declare All Contents Correctly

• Declare everything in your shipment

🚩Undeclared items crossing borders can result in fines, delays, or even returned packages. If you’re considering sending a special gift or treat, be aware that most carriers have strict restrictions on shipping food items, especially across borders.

Food of any kind cannot be shipped through Chit Chats when sending to the U.S. or internationally.

💡If you’re unsure about what can and cannot be shipped, or need a refresher on how to properly declare your shipments, check out our previous blog post on how to accurately declare your shipments and our list of prohibited items to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Store Integrations

• Integrating your store—whether it’s Etsy, eBay, Shopify, Shipstation, or others—will help streamline your shipping process, saving you time and effort during the busy holiday season.

💡Our support library has easy-to-follow instructions on how to get your store connected. Once integrated, you’ll be able to easily manage your orders and shipments from a single platform, making the entire process more efficient and less prone to errors.

Insurance for Peace of Mind

• Opting for insurance on your shipments can give you reassurance and help protect against potential losses and unexpected circumstances.

💡Chit Chats Insurance covers shipments valued up to $300 USD, providing extra security in case of damage, loss, or other issues during transit. This small investment can help mitigate any surprises during the busiest time of the year.

Batching for Accuracy

• Creating a batch when dropping off multiple shipments helps you stay organized and makes it easier to cross-reference shipments, reducing the risk of lost or misplaced packages. This ensures your shipments arrive at their destinations on time.

Consider Returns as Part of Your Strategy

As an ecommerce business, we know that there is typically an increase of returns that will occur in January. To streamline this process, make sure you have all the necessary documentation in place before the peak season begins.

• Make sure to highlight your return options in your communications (checkout page and website) as this can significantly boost customer satisfaction during and after the holiday rush!
• If you use Chit Chats to manage your U.S. returns, be sure to register with CARM (CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management) and that you have an approved Power of Attorney (POA) in place. These steps will enable smooth processing of U.S. returns.
• Check your return settings to ensure that you have updated your preferred return method whether it’s branch pick up or having it mailed back to you. 

💡Find a comprehensive overview of how the returns process works with Chit Chats in our recent blog post. Being informed about the returns process will enable you to manage customer expectations and ensure a seamless experience for your buyers.

Stay Informed throughout the Holiday Season

• Bookmark our blog to receive the latest updates, including holiday hours and location updates that will be announced in the upcoming weeks. 
• Outline your shipping deadlines clearly to manage your customer’s expectations as most expect packages to arrive on or before December 24. Remember carrier cut-off are estimates and do not guarantee delivery by December 24.

Prepare for Potential Delays

Winter is fast approaching, bringing with it the potential for weather-related delays. The increased volume of shipments during this time can also impact delivery times. 

• Stay ahead of potential issues by checking our service delays blog that will help you access vital information quickly.

Be Aware of Service-Specific Restrictions

• Stay informed about any service-specific restrictions that may lead to delays or complications. Certain services have unique requirements, and understanding them ahead of time can help you avoid problems down the line.

Additionally, Chit Chats U.S. Slim is limited to shipping within the continental United States. If your shipment needs to reach areas outside of this region, be sure to select an alternative shipping method that can accommodate non-continental destinations, such as Chit Chats U.S. Edge.

Set Yourself Up for Holiday Shipping Success

Ultimately, thoughtful preparation is key to maintaining happy customers and smooth operations during the busiest shipping season of the year. With these best practices, you can reduce stress, enhance efficiency, and make this holiday season a success for your business and your customers.

If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact our support team. We’re here to help you every step of the way!