🎥 Webinar #2 - 4 Tips for a Successful E-commerce High Season
In the competitive e-commerce sector, it is crucial that you don't miss out on sales during the busiest times of the year.
Join us for an insightful session where our seasoned Customer Success Managers, Albertine and Joren, share invaluable tips and strategies to supercharge your inventory management. Learn how to keep your stock levels perfectly balanced to meet surging customer demand while avoiding the negative consequences of both stockouts and post-holiday deadstock.
Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to elevate your e-commerce game and maximise your profits during the peak season!
👉 [Click here to access the webinar]
(Recorded on: 20/09/2023)
🌍 1. How to Add Translated Subtitles
Because this webinar was originally recorded in Dutch, you can easily use YouTube's auto-translate feature to watch the session with English subtitles (or any other language you prefer!).
To turn on translations:
Open the video and click the CC (Closed Captions) icon on the bottom right of the video player to turn on subtitles.
Click the Settings (Gear) icon right next to it.
Select Subtitles/CC, and then click Auto-translate.
Choose your preferred language from the dropdown list.
That's it! You can now watch the session comfortably in your desired language.
🛑 2. Key Takeaways: The 4 Tips for Peak Season
If you are short on time, here is a quick recap of the four strategies discussed in the webinar to help you prepare your webshop for the holiday rush (like Black Friday and Cyber Monday):
Tip 1: Master the Promotions Tool
High season means sales events. If you don't tell Optiply about an upcoming promotion, the algorithm won't order enough stock. Use the Promotions module to plan your expected sales lift before the event. Even more importantly, this tool filters out that massive data spike after the event so it doesn't artificially inflate your forecasts for the quiet months of January and February.
Tip 2: Anticipate Supplier Delays (Lead Times)
Suppliers and shipping carriers get overwhelmed during the holidays. A delivery that normally takes 7 days might suddenly take 21 days. Be proactive! Communicate with your suppliers about their high-season capacities and manually increase your Set Lead Times in Optiply so the system starts ordering earlier to compensate for holiday transit delays.
Tip 3: Review Your Service Levels & ABC Categories
You cannot afford to run out of your 'A' category best-sellers during Q4. Review your ABC Classification settings to ensure your budget is heavily prioritised toward your fastest-moving items. You may want to temporarily bump up the Desired Service Level for your top performers to guarantee availability during peak traffic days.
Tip 4: Clean Up Your Assortment (Phase Outs)
Before the high season hits, clear out the clutter. Identify products that are obsolete or underperforming and change their status to Phased Out. This frees up vital cash flow and warehouse space so you can invest heavily in the inventory that will actually drive your holiday revenue.
❓ 3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When is the best time to start applying these high-season settings?
Preparation is key! Because lead times for overseas suppliers can be several months, we recommend setting up your promotions and adjusting your lead times in Optiply at least 8 to 12 weeks before the major sales events begin.
Will setting a Promotion mess up my algorithm for next year?
No, that is the exact reason you should use the Promotions tool! Optiply isolates the sales data during the dates of your promotion. This ensures the temporary spike in sales does not trick the algorithm into thinking that high demand is your new "normal."
Where can I find the Promotions module?
You can access and create new promotional events by clicking on Promotions in the main top menu of your Optiply dashboard.