the logistics of black friday & Cyber Monday 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year (and the busiest if you are in the retail industry). The holiday season is upon us, and the busiest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, are merely days away. For many businesses, their Black Friday sales put them According to Adobe Analytics, Black Friday brought in $6.2 billion in online sales alone last year and Cyber Monday sales broke records in the U.S. at $7.9 billion. While these days come and go in a flash, retail companies prepare for them all year long. In fact, a lot of companies seek out the assistance of the third-party logistics providers, such as NOTS Logistics to get the job done.

Many retail companies utilize warehousing services to store their holiday inventory. NOTS Logistics offer both public and contracting warehouse space, as well as overflow and seasonal space. This means that businesses can conveniently lease out extra storage space during their peak seasons, such as Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday. In order to meet the bustling demand, all inventory must be organized and accounted for. This is where our Warehouse Management System (WMS) comes into play. It provides our customers with tracking capabilities and customizable inventory activity reports. Customers can analyze data from previous years’ sales to prepare for this year’s Black Friday sale.

NOTS Logistics not only provides companies with space to store their products, but also provides the manpower to get the products out the door during the holiday shopping craze. We prepare our team members, and cross train them so that everyone is working efficiently as a unit to get the job done. We prepare our management team, encouraging them to meet with their teams frequently to ensure everyone is prepared and comfortable. During this time of year, employees may become stressed or wore down. It is important for managers to engage with them frequently to boost their morale. At NOTS, we consider the holiday season the ideal time to really show employees how much we appreciate their hard work and care for them. We do this through hosting employee luncheons, giving out Thanksgiving Turkeys, passing out poinsettias, etc. It is important to us that they feel valued all year long, but especially during this busy time of year.

When it comes to order fulfillment, NOTS Logistics’ service is second to none. Last year, we handled 1,072,500,162 lbs of good, processed 32,756,176 units and have a shipment accuracy of 99.766%. Retailers depend on us to process their bulk of orders correctly and in a timely manner. Through our pick, pack and repacking services, we get the orders off the shelves, packaged and out the door as efficiently as possible. With our process, you can focus on your sales while we worry about the distribution of your product. Once the orders have been fulfilled, it is time to get them to the shelves of the store or to the customers’ front door in mint condition. At NOTS, we provide dependable fleet management services that cut costs for our clients. We also offer cross docking services to allow for quick routing of goods to the retailer. This option allows for a quick turnaround and low transportation costs.

Last but certainly not least, we provide retailers with a service that many logistics companies do not: reverse logistics. Think about the millions of purchases that will be made this weekend and on Monday. Then, think about how many of those will be returned. When a product is returned, it must be retrieved, transported, sorted, checked, collected and then it is either sold, parts of it is reused or it is scrapped. We handle this robust process, so our customers do not have to. And we do it is as efficiently as possible to cut costs and prevent losses.

Now, when you purchase that half-priced flat screen TV or 75% off vacuum, you will have a better appreciation for it, as you know the intense planning and manpower that goes into pulling off Black Friday and Cyber Monday each year. NOTS Logistics wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, safe shopping and joyous holiday season!