How can online retailers predict seasonal demand and avoid customer dissatisfaction?

It is not uncommon for retailers to become a victim of their own success, especially around Christmas and other busy periods when demand for a product can rocket. It can be quite difficult to predict which products will sell well, and online retailers in particular can get caught out.

There are measures that can be put in place, however, that will not only help to meet demand on time, but will also help avoid customer dissatisfaction should a business not be able to deliver a product.

According to Jo Varey, managing director of Granby Marketing Services, it’s vital to know your capacity. “You need to know the total number of orders you can physically handle ahead of demand peaks such as Christmas,” she explains.

“This might be 3,000, it might be 500,000, but as soon as that number is reached, your website should automatically tell the customer that you cannot guarantee delivery before a certain date.”

It is also imperative to clearly state your deadline for orders if customers are to receive products on or before a certain day. Varey adds: “Stopping the customer from parting with their money might be the smartest move you can make. You will build trust and that customer has every chance of returning to your site to buy future items, but they won’t if they feel let down and disgruntled.”

Varey adds that it is also essential to know how your couriers and carriers will operate over busy periods as what might usually be delivered in two days could take four days.