The ultimate guide for peak season
Everything you need to prepare for peak season in one place: original research, guides, webinars, and deep dives on shipping, inventory, and Black Friday.
How Linnworks helps during peak
Unify inventory
Stock synced across channels in under 10 minutes to prevent oversells.
Orchestrate orders
Route orders by SLA, location, and margin to hit cut-offs.
Speed up the warehouse
Digital pick lists and guided picking mean fewer touches.
Ship smarter
Connect to 70+ carriers, with rules that balance speed and cost.
See issues early
Reporting that surfaces stockouts, aging orders, and SLA risk.
Handle peak volume
Trusted by 4,000+ sellers running peak operations across regions.
FAQs
Earlier than most sellers expect. In Linnworks’ analysis of 207 million orders, most sellers had their tools in place and their catalogs ready well before the rush, so start planning in late summer. Test new channels earlier in the year, and leave enough time for any operational change to go live and settle.
Tighten cycle counts, set safety stock by SKU velocity, and use lead-time-adjusted reorder points. See our guides to the safety stock formula and peak season inventory planning.
Set fallback rules by service level and zone, communicate proactively, and offer alternative delivery options at checkout. Using more than one carrier gives you room to move volume.
Peak surcharges stack on top of fuel, size, and weight charges, and negotiated discounts often don’t cover every fee. Reviewing your contracts early and choosing a carrier per order helps. Our Lost in transit report covers where costs hide.