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Post-Christmas check-in: Assess your retail performance and fulfilment strategy

Alice Davies By Alice Davies |
Read time: 13 mins

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Post-Christmas retail review: Optimise your fulfilment strategy
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The festive season has wrapped up, and it’s time to take stock of how your retail business performed during the busiest time of the year. With Christmas sales in the UK expected to reach a record £88.3 billion in 2024 - up 4% from last year - the stakes have never been higher. So, how did you do? Whether you smashed targets or stumbled over bottlenecks, now’s the time for a proper debrief. Let’s look at how to evaluate your performance, refine your fulfilment strategy, and set yourself up for an even better year ahead. New year, new you? Nope, new year, better fulfilment.

1. Crunch the sales numbers

Let’s start with the basics: How much did you sell? Diving into your sales data can tell you a lot about what worked and what didn’t over the festive period.

Key metrics to review:

  • Total revenue: How does this year compare to last year or your projected targets?
  • Bestsellers and flops: Which products flew off the shelves, and which gathered dust? Knowing this can shape your buying strategy for the year ahead.
  • Channel performance: Online, in-store, or mobile? With UK online sales growing by 5.1% to hit £32.48 billion this Christmas, it’s crucial to know where your revenue is coming from. Did social commerce - expected to reach £212 million - live up to the hype for your business?

 

2. Peek into customer habits

Understanding your customers’ buying habits is key to refining your strategy and making informed decisions. It’s all about knowing what makes them tick - and then, more importantly, click.

Consider these questions:

  • What was the average spend per transaction? This can help you determine discount codes for orders over a certain amount. Don’t forget, UK households spend an extra £713 more in December, make sure you’re seeing what percentage of that is on your products.
  • How many new customers did you attract? If most of your sales came from loyal customers, think about how to keep them coming back.
  • What promotions landed best? Was it the early bird discounts, last-minute deals, or bundles?

 

3. Untangle inventory mysteries

Did you have stock nightmares this Christmas? Maybe some items sold out too quickly while others overstayed their welcome.

What to check:

  • Stockouts and overstock: Empty shelves mean lost sales, but too much stock ties up cash.
  • Inventory turnover: How quickly did your stock move? Faster turnover often means you’re buying the right products in the right quantities.
  • Supplier performance: Did your suppliers deliver as promised? One delay can ripple through your operations.

 

4. Diagnose delivery dilemmas

Delivery performance is where the rubber meets the road (or where the van meets the driveway). Customers expect fast, accurate, and hassle-free deliveries, especially during the festive rush.

Check these metrics:

  • Delivery times: Did you hit your targets, or were there delays?
  • On-time delivery rate: With 55% of consumers expecting delivery within 48 hours, being late isn’t an option.
  • Returns management: Did returns run like clockwork, or were there hiccups? A smooth returns process can be a big loyalty booster. No more WISMR enquiries in the new year!

 

5. Take stock of customer service

When fulfilment hits a snag, your customer service team becomes your primary focus. How well did they handle the festive chaos? According to Direct Commerce, businesses in the UK risk losing up to £4.5 billion in lost sales over the Golden Quarter. That’s a lot of the green.

Ask yourself:

  • Were response times quick enough? During peak season, even an extra hour can feel like an eternity to your customers. Ignore the fact they were the ones who forgot about great Aunt Mildred’s bath salts; YOU’RE the one who needs to make sure she’s unwrapping them on Christmas day.
  • What were the most common complaints? Identifying recurring issues helps you prevent them in the future. Data is your friend - so make sure you use it.
  • Did you measure up to customer satisfaction expectations? If not, why?

 

6. Marketing - not just a nice to have

Your sales don’t just happen (as much as your sales team would like you to think…); they’re powered by your marketing machine. How effective were your campaigns this season?

Metrics to assess:

  • ROI by channel: Which campaigns delivered the best bang for your buck? Are you making the most of social commerce? Is it time to get your CEO dancing for TikTok videos? Only you can decide.
  • Engagement rates: From email open rates to social media likes, these numbers can reveal what captured your audience’s attention.
  • Brand awareness: Did your festive campaigns leave a lasting impression, or were they a flash in the pan?

 

7. Run the numbers on finances

Time to see how the numbers stack up. Did your Christmas efforts make financial sense?

  • Profit margins: How much did you really make after discounts and promotions?
  • Operational costs: What did it cost to hire extra staff, ramp up marketing, and manage logistics?
  • Cash flow: Did your increased sales lead to healthy cash reserves, or did costs eat away at your profits?

 

8. Reflect on team performance

Your people are your greatest asset, especially during the festive crunch. How did your team perform under pressure?

Key areas to evaluate:

  • Staff productivity: Were there any bottlenecks in the workflow? Did you notice more absenteeism than usual?
  • Team morale: Did you support your staff through the busy season? Burnout can hurt performance and retention - and that free advent calendar might not have cut the mustard.
  • Training needs: Did any skills gaps become apparent? Is your tech becoming too convoluted and bloated for your team to manage? Don’t forget - tech should augment, not hinder.

 

9. Audit your tech

Did your tech stack hold up under the pressure of peak season traffic?

Tech audit checklist:

  • Website performance: Did your site crash or slow down during high traffic periods?
  • Order tracking: Could customers easily check the status of their orders?
  • Automation: Are you using tools like fulfilmentcrowd’s shipping software to streamline operations and avoid manual errors?

 

10. Learn from the competition

How did you stack up against competitors this Christmas?

Questions to explore:

  • What promotions did they run? You might not know exactly how well they performed, but you can take a look at things like social media engagement to see if it resonates with your audience.
  • Did they capture market share you missed? Maybe you thought more Gen Zers would fall in love with your products - why not?
  • What are customers saying about them online compared to your brand? An easy way to do this is to use social listening software and track their brand names. Even a simple Google Alert can give you insight into their brand voice metrics online.

 

11. Check your sustainability credentials

The green agenda isn’t going anywhere. Customers increasingly care about how their purchases impact the planet. If you use promotional packaging around the festive season, make it eco-friendly. Look at the likes of Quality Street. Tins and plastic are out: cardboard is in. According to Retail Week however, 96.4% of consumers are inclined to save their promotional packaging to be repurposed, so make it count. Although we won’t be responsible for the disappointment next year when you open a box expecting biscuits and it’s a sewing kit.

Assess your practices:

  • Eco-friendly packaging: Did you use recyclable or sustainable materials?
  • Carbon footprint: Did you track the environmental impact of deliveries?
  • Sustainable products: Did you promote items with eco-credentials?

 

Plan for next year

Armed with all these insights, it’s time to look ahead.

Key actions to take:

  • Refine your strategy: Focus on what worked and fix what didn’t.
  • Invest in tech: Whether it’s inventory management or customer service tools, the right tech can make all the difference.
  • Scale smarter: Prepare for next year’s peaks with scalable solutions, like fulfilmentcrowd’s adaptable fulfilment services.


Wrapping it up

A post-Christmas check-in isn’t just about identifying what went wrong; it’s about celebrating your wins, learning from your challenges, and setting the stage for even greater success. Whether it’s refining your fulfilment strategy, improving customer service, or leveraging the latest technology, every step you take now is an investment in a smoother, more profitable future.

Ready to tackle 2025 with confidence?

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Alice Davies By Alice Davies |

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