The news in the final quarter of the year seems to be all about consumer shopping events – from Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US (and now also the UK and Australia), to Back to School and Year End sales in various other countries, leading into the pre-Lunar New Year shopping sprees in China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea in January.
For some retailers, the revenue made from the sales in November and December could equal the rest of the year’s sales so missing it would make the difference between going red or crossing the profit line into the black – hence the name Black Friday. The impact on production is so big that orders are placed in June for raw materials, and items are shipped out between 1-2 months ahead of the sale season so that it has time to reach the shelves (or warehouses in the case of Cyber Monday) ahead of the hordes of shoppers. For sellers who fall behind in schedule, shipping takes place by air to minimise the delivery time but of course that takes its toll in shipping costs. So the next question is - if you’re located outside of the US, UK and Australia but you’ve got a really good product which you know consumers will love, what do you need to do, to get it to these countries on time & within budget? And, would it be feasible for someone located in Malaysia to have something manufactured partly in Bangladesh and China for sale in Japan? Planning for shipping is more than just about buying cheap freight – every country has their own procedures and regulations concerning the safety of consumer products entering their local markets – more so if these are food items. So, the answer to the questions above is a resounding yes, but do talk to us for your options – Alien Logistics works with partners across 6 continents; in the US alone, we have partner offices on both the East and West coasts… and even in the middle!
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