If You Should Focus On Anything To Boost Holiday Sales, This Is It!

With holidays around the corner, spending this year is expected to rise by 3% and 78% Canadian shoppers plan to spend on the ‘best deals’ they can find. It’s no surprise then that businesses know exactly what they are doing when participating in seasonal sales during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas. As brands refine their shipping for holidays approach, the pressure to deliver fast, reliable service becomes even more important.

Whether you are a growing business or an established enterprise in North America, this is the best time for your business to double your sales.

So where do you begin?

It might seem natural to pour all your efforts into online promotions, giveaways, and incentives, holiday-themed webstore design, social media outreach, catchy jingles, and e-mail marketing campaigns. But one crucial consideration that’s often overlooked when planning a peak-season strategy is shipping, especially when crafting a strong holiday shipping strategy that supports customer expectations.

Shipping can help you close the sale: Your customers expect more than just a smooth browsing experience. They want flexible shipping options before they even add items to their cart. Fast, reliable, and transparent delivery, along with flexible return options, can be the deciding factor in whether your customer completes their purchase. Your marketing may get them to your site, but it’s your shipping experience that seals the deal.

Then hesitation sets in. The shipping charges seem high, or the only delivery option promises up to five days for the order to arrive. In less than a minute, your potential customer abandons the cart and moves on to a competitor with more accommodating shipping options.

This is particularly true for Gen Z shoppers, who are highly selective and value conscious. According to a recent PWC study, many in this generation carefully weigh cost, convenience, and perceived value before completing a purchase. They’re willing to trade down on everyday expenses but expect smart, intentional value in every transaction. If shipping feels expensive or slow, it can quickly derail the sale.

As many as 44 percent of shoppers do the same thing when they think the shipping costs are too high, according to a Shopify study. The lesson? Close the sale by offering what customers want: free or flat-rate shipping and several delivery options.

Shipping can also be a marketing tool: Shoppers may enjoy surprises during the holiday season, but not at checkout. Unless you display shipping charges early in the process, you run a big risk of watching potential customers head for the virtual door. By offering transparent fees, multiple delivery options, and reliable service, shipping becomes not just a logistical necessity but a competitive advantage. Incorporating thoughtful holiday season shipping tips can help you strengthen transparency and consumer trust.

The good news is that online consumers are so drawn to the idea of free shipping that you can turn it into an effective marketing tool. If you’re able to offer free shipping and, for example, overnight delivery (although it may not be free), display it prominently on your homepage. There’s no reason to be shy. A smooth shipping process will help your customer move all the way through the sales funnel.

Shipping keeps customers coming back, if done right: When an order arrives on time and at little or no cost to the customer, it’s good for your business. A happy customer is likely to return for more and spread the word about your affordable and expedient shipping service. The holiday season also gives you a chance to stand out from the competition by making sure last-minute orders take the fast route to their destinations.

If you need help finding the best carriers and most competitive rates, eShipper is here for you. We make shipping easy so you can focus on growing your business. Click here to learn more about us or contact us for more information.

Connect with a shipping expert today.