This blog post was originally published by Deliverr, which is now Flexport. The content has been adjusted to fit the Flexport brand voice and tone, but all other information remains unchanged. With the merging of Deliverr’s services (DTC fulfillment, B2B distribution, and Last Mile delivery) into Flexport’s existing international freight and technology services, we’re now able to provide merchants with true end-to-end logistics solutions spanning from the factory floor to the customer’s door.

Updated: October 18, 2023

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) are the most anticipated shopping events of each year—both for your business and your customers. While the weekend-long shopping frenzy is only the beginning of consumers’ holiday season, your businesses’ preparation begins now.

To ensure you can meet increased customer demand during BFCM and beyond, it’s imperative you have a strategic plan in place with your 3PL fulfillment and logistics provider. For example, you’ll want to ensure their operational infrastructure can handle the increased order volume your business expects to see, and that their operational infrastructure can be properly optimized for fast delivery.

At Flexport, we begin planning for peak season in July so your business can also jump-start its peak planning process. In addition to requesting that your team submit a detailed peak season plan, we also analyze each of our services at the individual level to set key deadlines, ensure our carrier network can handle increased volume, etc.

Read on to learn about the changes we’re making to the following Flexport services during the 2023 peak season:

• Sortable Fulfillment
• Reserve Storage
• Prep
• Trucking

Sortable Fulfillment

Services impacted by the below changes include DTC fulfillment, FDA, lot tracking, temperature control, and any back orders.

Inbounding Deadlines

To ensure our teams can process and strategically distribute your inventory across our network in time for BFCM and the December holidays, we’re enforcing the following inbounding deadlines:

• Your inventory must arrive at one of our cross-docks or fulfillment centers by November 6, 2023 in order to be sellable by Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
• Your inventory must arrive at one of our cross-docks or fulfillment centers by November 23, 2023 in order to be sellable before December 14, 2023.
• For existing merchants using branded packaging, if creating a net-new custom/branded packaging order or updating an old design, final product orders must be submitted to our packaging partner, Shorr, by September 15, 2023. Branded packaging currently is not accepting new merchants but we are looking to expand this service in the future.

Pricing

Flexport is foregoing surcharges on top of standard order fulfillment fees during the 2023 peak season. What you’ve been paying all year to fulfill orders with us will be the same costs you see on your billing invoice during peak season months (October through December).

Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)

From November 22, 2023 to December 6, 2023, inbound SLAs will be extended in order to prioritize outbound holiday shipments. We will continue to process inbounds during this time but with delays to standard inbound SLAs.

You can also expect outbound shipping delays from November 23, 2023 to November 30, 2023 due to increased shipping volume from Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Reserve Storage

Services impacted by the below changes include all Reserve Storage outbound handling types: case handling, pallet handling, and labeling.

Deadlines for Product Arrivals and Outbound Shipments

To ensure our team can help you keep on top of your inventory levels with clever and timely product restocking across channels, we’re enforcing the following deadlines for product arrivals and ingestions at our Reserve Storage sites.

In order to be sellable by Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

• Your inventory must arrive at a Reserve Storage site by October 20, 2023
• If your products need prep services, your outbound order from Reserve Storage must be placed by October 23, 2023
• If you plan to replenish your products to ecommerce, wholesale, or FBA* channels, your outbound order from Reserve Storage must be placed by October 25, 2023

In order to be sellable by the December holidays:

• Your inventory must arrive at a Reserve Storage site by November 17, 2023
• If your products need prep services, your outbound order from Reserve Storage must be placed by November 22, 2023
• If you plan to replenish your products to ecommerce, wholesale, or FBA* channels, your outbound order from Reserve Storage must be placed by November 24, 2023

*Be advised of anticipated delivery delays to FBA due to the drop-off schedule.

Pricing

Flexport is foregoing surcharges on top of the standard Reserve Storage pricing during peak season. This is so you can keep prime-ready fulfillment centers in stock while honoring storage limits. Estimate your inbound, storage, and outbound costs with our calculator.

Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)

Beginning November 1, 2023 until December 31, 2023, Reserve Storage outbound SLAs will increase from 3 business days to 5 business days.

Prep

Services impacted by the below changes include all Flexport Prep services: unit labeling, box content labeling, bubble wrapping, bagging, box building, kitting, and floor-loaded containers.

Deadlines for Product Arrivals

To guarantee that your products will be sales-ready and ready to meet demand during BFCM and the December holidays, we’re enforcing the following deadlines for product arrivals and ingestions at our Prep sites:

• Your inventory must be ingested into our network by October 24, 2023 and must arrive at a Prep site by October 27, 2023 in order to be sellable by Black Friday and Cyber Monday
• Your inventory must be ingested into our network by November 19, 2023 and must arrive at a Prep site by November 22, 2023 in order to be sellable by the December holidays

Pricing

Flexport is foregoing surcharges on top of the standard pricing for Prep services during peak season. This is so you can sell across more channels and avoid costly inventory issues. Visit our Help Center for a cost breakdown of each Prep service.

Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)

From October 16, 2023 until December 24, 2023, Prep inbound SLAs will increase from 48 hours to 72 hours, and job completion timelines will increase from 72 hours to 96 hours.

Trucking

Flexport Trucking services will remain business as usual during the 2023 peak season. FTL and Intermodal products won’t experience any pricing surcharges or changes in deadlines or SLAs.

However, our team is here to help handle any expedited Trucking needs you may have. Learn more about how to shift your trucking into high gear here.