Predicting Seasonal Changes in Shipping and Product Delivery
Organizing your business logistics in Ontario is about more than processing purchase orders—it’s a matter of handling delivery year-round. Because of Canada’s northern location, changing seasons drastically impact the supply chain. From surprise blizzards making truck deliveries challenging to what items sell in certain seasons, the calendar governs most aspects of the business. Predicting how seasonal changes impact product delivery is thus essential to long-term success.
Logistics in Ontario: Maintain a Smooth Supply Chain
Ontario logistics companies are specialized in creating shipping plans that consider the realities of the changing seasons. The logic of shipping is about finding the most cost-effective way to transport your goods on time. There are many variable facets to the supply chain, but the climate is one aspect that impacts all businesses.
Whether you’re new to the marketplace or plan on expanding into the east, there are some important things to consider. The process is different for every business, but developing a product delivery model in Ontario follows the same basic pattern:
Accommodate seasonal changes
There are two main aspects of seasonal changes: what people buy and how to ship it to them. The seasons dictate what products people need. For example, a clothing supply company will likely retail more jackets in the winter and more swimming suits in the summer. Produce is a summer matter, while other items, including non-perishable goods, can ship the whole year-round.
Deciding how to produce and store your items is half of the battle, and when you choose a location near your end customer, it is easier to plan for shipments. Optimizing your use of warehouse services is a great way to improve your seasonal shipping structure. It can help your orders ship responsibly come rain or shine.
Understanding how seasonal realities impact your sales prospects is paramount when planning. Even if your business is new and lacks sales and shipping data from previous seasons, you can do competitor research to learn the product-delivery process for your industry. This lets you determine when shipping is in the highest demand so you can plan.
Prepare for the weather
Once you know which products you plan to deliver during each season, you can begin to prepare for the climate realities. If your supply chain relies on interprovincial (or even international) shipping, then it’s important to consider the weather. By localizing your warehouses, you can limit transportation downtime due to storms. Shipping and warehousing non-perishables in advance of seasonal demands can help you avoid delays and maintain customer satisfaction.
Generate long-term relationships
The importance of relationships can’t be replaced by automation and digital services. Developing a good rapport with those in your supply chain is essential to customer retention. A happy client is a much more patient with a weather-related delivery than one with whom you don’t have an existing relationship.
By maintaining open lines of communication, you can establish clear plans and follow up as necessary. Maintaining connections with everyone from manufacturers to trucking companies means you always have access to information. It can take time to develop these relationships, so working with an established warehousing and logistics firm has a lot of value.
Be prepared and practical for seasonal changes
Every season is unique, and its impacts on production and transportation differ with those changes. While (technically) there are four seasons, Ontario logistics means planning for a long cold season. It can be easier to break down the shipping seasons into financial quarters:
First Quarter
Especially in Canada, the slowest part of the year is usually in the first quarter. Between January and March, most of the roads are covered with snow, and the icy temperatures keep shoppers home. During this season, most transportation companies do repair work on equipment.
Second Quarter
Throughout the first quarter, the freight quantities increase until they kick off in April. The second quarter of the year can be competitive for shipping, so booking your trucking ahead of time is important. Dominated by the produce season, the demand for service can make it tricky to get last-minute service. Planning is paramount.
Third Quarter
The third quarter follows the main produce season with an equal level of demand for deliveries. This boom results from back-to-school promotions and sales. Warehouses see large turnover during this period since stores sell the previous season’s stock and replace it with supplies to meet current demand.
Freight volumes are high, and the cost represents this well. Budget for extra shipping expenses during this period, especially if you don’t have an existing arrangement. Scheduling your transactions ahead of time by choosing a trusted provider with transparent fees is important.
Fourth Quarter
From Halloween to Christmas, the end of the year is marked with all types of celebrations—and that means an uptick in product demand. Whether your company works in an industry related to the holidays or not, it’s important to plan. Establish a plan ahead of time to ensure that you meet all of your orders.
Trust the experts
Companies rely on established logistics businesses not only for shipping and warehousing but for insight into the industry. From saving in storage costs by finding the ideal method to reducing the chance of errors through automation, it’s important to find reputable advice. Smooth order fulfillment depends on professionals who can navigate the Ontario seasons with the precision that only years of experience offer.
Make the Season Count With Trusted Ontario Logistics
When you embrace the seasons and the opportunities each one provides, you can use it to drive profits. Planning by integrating seasonally-focused logistics for your Ontario business can help you promote customer satisfaction. Working with a reputable company to control your product’s delivery enables you to make the most out of each season.
To learn more about how Ontario logistics experts can help in predicting seasonal changes that drive your business to new levels, contact Wills Transfer at 613-283-0225 or send us a message here. Talk to you soon!
