The leaves are changing. Peppermint mocha is making an appearance at the local coffee shops. All signs are pointing to one thing … the holiday season is right around the corner.

But unlike previous years, we are already well into the peak of holiday shopping. Most consumers began their shopping in October with a bulk of their holiday purchases slated for completion in November. With an earlier timetable and more people turning to ecommerce for the perfect holiday gift, here is how to prepare your team for an unprecedented spike in demand.

Shape the Customer Experience

If you’re not thinking about your shopping experience from the perspective of the customer, now is the time to change up your strategy. With the pandemic shaping shopping habits and determining new preferences, consumers are looking for convenience above all else.

Stand out from the crowd with unique packaging and an unboxing experience that takes social into consideration. Handwritten notes, curated tags, and designed wrappings all make a difference in the perception of your product. With automation streamlining your processing, a more personal touch is possible. 

Make customer service a priority. Train your teams on responsive marketing and take feedback into consideration. Think about your experience holistically. You might have your shopping, order, and delivery process seamless, but what does your return process look like? Is it easy for consumers to navigate? Do you have prepaid options available? Consumers look for free shipping and easy returns. Convenience is the name of the game. 

Alleviate the Strain

Your operations might be running smoothly pre-peak, but the strain of rapidly increasing demand is bound to weigh on your team. An easy solution to keep everything running smoothly? Automation.

With automation, you’ll be able to cut down on processing time. AmbiSort is a configurable, AI-powered robotic sorting system that handles millions of unique parcels on day-one. AmbiSort can sort boxes, polybags, and envelopes from bulk input flow (chutes, totes, and bins) into destination containers (mail sacks, totes) over 50% faster than manual labor.

Our robots learn to pick and pack millions of unique items rapidly, optimizing productivity and getting your product out the door faster. With a quicker response time, your focus can shift elsewhere – such as hiring permanent employees and strengthening customer relationships. 

Support Your People

At Ambi, we bring simple solutions to complex problems. We’re focused on using robots to make human work better. With the assistance of automation, we can make your employee experience safe and sustainable. 

A warehouse that integrates robotics technology and automation avoids labor-related work injuries and gives employees their time back. Employees have the ability to use their time more efficiently while increasing overall product output. A safer place to work, with more time at home with family. 

After all, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?