Peak Season Prep: Your Black Friday & Holiday Checklist

Peak season (November-December) can account for 30-40% of a marketplace seller's annual revenue. But it also brings the highest risk of stockouts, late deliveries, and overwhelmed operations. Preparation is everything.

8 weeks before: Stock and suppliers

• Forecast demand — Look at last year's data. Add 20-30% growth. Order stock early — suppliers get backed up too.
• Identify your winners — Focus inventory investment on your top 20% of products. They'll drive 80% of revenue.
• Backup suppliers — If your main supplier can't deliver, have a plan B.

4 weeks before: Systems and processes

• Test your invoicing — Make sure automatic invoicing is working. The last thing you need during a 500-order day is manual invoice creation.
• Update listings — Optimize titles, photos, and descriptions before the rush. No time for this during peak.
• Set realistic delivery promises — Consider extending your delivery window by a day. Better to exceed expectations than to miss them.
• Prepare customer service templates — You'll get more questions. Have templates ready for common scenarios.

1 week before: Final checks

• Stock count — Verify physical stock matches system stock
• Packaging supplies — Boxes, tape, labels, filler material — all stocked up
• Carrier communication — Confirm pickup schedules with your shipping partner
• Team briefing — If you have staff, make sure everyone knows the process

During peak: Execution

Ship fast, communicate proactively, and don't panic. If something goes wrong (stockout, carrier delay), communicate it to the customer before they reach out to you. Proactive communication prevents negative reviews.

After peak: Review

Analyze what worked and what didn't. Which products ran out? Where did you have bottlenecks? Use this data to prepare even better next year. And don't forget to process all the returns and credit notes — your bookkeeper will need clean records for year-end.