Back to school is bigger than ever – are you ready?

Back to school season is back again, and earlier than ever. After a year of supply chain challenges, half of shoppers are concerned about stockouts and planning to shop earlier, per Deloitte, and their pandemic-influenced shopping habits are here to stay. 39% of the $32.5 billion expected in BTS spending will come from e-commerce channels, and half of shoppers will visit online-only stores.

With the Back to School peak picking up, brands selling online need to ensure they’re prepared to satisfy demand and meet expectations. This means enabling fast, affordable delivery and a customer experience that keeps them coming back with multiple, distributed fulfillment locations.

This isn’t just about pencils and notebooks, though — back to school also means stocking kitchens in dorms and apartments. LIFEAID, a beverage company, offers refreshing and energizing beverages enjoyed by athletes and students across the country.

With widely distributed target markets, they’re able to fulfill orders across the country quickly and cost effectively with Flowspace and its Network Optimization algorithm.

“The Flowspace network has enabled us to get orders to our customers around the country quickly and affordably.”

— Mike Gilberg, Logistics Manager, LIFEAID

Back to School isn’t the only seasonal spike to happen early this year. With major brick and mortar chains such as Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Best Buy and others announcing they'll be closed on Thanksgiving, ecommerce sellers should expect holiday shopping to follow the same trend, and consider how best to allocate inventory to keep up with consumer demand.

Get in touch with Flowspace today to find out how today.