Carnival is one of the most anticipated times for Brazilians after the year-end holidays. Some people take advantage of the holiday to travel, others prepare to join the street parties or go out with family. This movement becomes important for merchants, especially those operating in e-commerce.
For brands that want to achieve sales success during this year’s Carnival, it’s important to start strategizing and planning as early as possible, especially in e-commerce, which has become consumers’ primary shopping channel. Daniela Torres is Partner and CEO of Simples Inovação, a company focused on business modeling for e-commerce, believes this is the best way to stay ahead of competitors.
“It’s important for brands to use this lead time to structure their online stores. The first steps to orchestrating the future are looking at last year’s data, seeing what can be done differently, staying alert to trends, new technologies, and major changes in consumer behavior,” she comments.
To help entrepreneurs and retailers with this preparation, Daniela has shared other simple tips for the period. Check them out:
Pay attention to cash flow
Economically, this is the most important process for businesses, as it determines companies’ financial health. During periods like Carnival, when cash flow tends to be higher, it’s crucial to monitor money inflows and outflows to avoid any loss of control. Planning aspects like promotion and discount values, free shipping, average order value, supplier payments, and investments should come first.
“It’s very difficult to know what will happen a month from now, especially when we talk about online sales. We can’t precisely gauge how many people will buy, which products will sell best, inflation, among other metrics. So, the idea is to outline possible financial scenarios to have better control over your business situation,” explains Daniela.
Organize your inventory
Managing inventory is already not an easy task, especially when there’s a high volume of orders in a short period. To avoid problems like product shortages, wasted merchandise, shipping delays, and other difficulties, it’s ideal to prepare storage and distribution logistics in advance.
Mapping inventory data can help determine which products sell most and the restocking frequency for each item. Another tip is to maintain good relationships with suppliers, as they’ll be responsible for supplying and delivering goods, even urgently. Regarding stocked products, it’s also important to pay attention to quality and expiration dates, as these influence customer experience.
“Investing in inventory management solutions is a great path for companies that are just starting or facing difficulties in this area. Technological advancement requires tools to keep up with this evolution,” says the executive.
Manage your shipping logistics
The shipping stage is also an important factor in consumers’ purchasing decisions. Companies need to focus on delivery logistics, as customer expectations for receiving their products easily, quickly, and correctly will be high.
Some tips for efficient shipping logistics include: planning delivery processes by mapping potential unforeseen events and creating alternative routes; investing in product tracking technologies that reassure and empower customers, contributing to a good experience; and implementing reverse logistics, which facilitates exchanges and returns, preventing major issues and further enhancing the shopping journey.
