Articles
black-friday-logistics-guide
Ana Britovšek Kunsek
October 22, 2025
5 min read
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas don’t just boost sales—they put your entire supply chain under test.
Order volumes can surge up to 10x, customers expect same-day or next-day delivery, and even the most prepared retailers and e-commerce stores risk bottlenecks, stockouts, and missed delivery deadlines.
This Black Friday guide helps you navigate through the season’s biggest supply chain and logistics challenges: from demand forecasting, capacity planning, and warehouse management to cross-border shipping.
Discover proven strategies used by Europe’s leading van express logistics provider to keep your operations running smoothly when it matters most.
Waiting until November is too late. By then, most carriers are at capacity, warehouses are full, and available delivery slots are booked weeks in advance.
To make sure your operations stay smooth and you avoid Black Friday transportation delays during the busiest shopping season, start preparing at least 8–12 weeks in advance.
This preparation window allows you to:
Planning early gives your business flexibility to scale confidently and deliver on every promise made to customers
CTA: Talk to a logistics expert
Relying on last year’s Black Friday sales data alone no longer works. Consumer behavior changes fast, promotions vary, and online sales channels evolve each year.
Poor forecasting can lead to overstocking in low-demand SKUs or stockouts in high-demand products—both of which hurt margins and customer satisfaction.
Smart retailers combine data and cross-functional collaboration to forecast more precisely.
To turn that insight into action, apply the following:
For example, a trending consumer electronics item may require 30–40% buffer stock, while slow-moving home goods might only need minimal reserves.
Better forecasting means fewer last-minute surprises and unnecessary delays during Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping and shipping frenzy—and smoother, faster fulfillment when it counts most.
CTA: Secure your capacity now
Black Friday pressure doesn’t just hit your checkout page on the website—it hits your fulfilment operations first. When order volumes surge during Black Friday, even small inefficiencies in warehousing can cause major challenges resulting in massive slowdowns.
The result? Overselling, late deliveries, and unhappy customers. To keep performance high, your fulfilment centres need both real-time visibility and operational flexibility.
Do the following, to stay ahead:
With the right planning and visibility tools, your fulfilment operation can remain agile—even under the extreme pressure of Black Friday season.
Black Friday is no longer local—European retailers see a huge rise in cross-border orders. But while customer demands cross borders easily, logistics doesn’t always follow as smoothly. Customs procedures, tariffs, and longer transit times can turn opportunity into frustration if not managed correctly.
That’s where middle-mile logistics becomes the decisive link between international movement and last-mile delivery.
During peak season, it’s the middle mile that keeps your supply chain synchronized—moving goods swiftly from ports, factories, or distribution centres to regional hubs and local warehouses. When this stage slows down, even the best last-mile partners can’t make up for the lost time.
To stay ahead, embrace the following solutions:
With the right middle-mile network and a dependable carrier like Van Express, cross-border delivery doesn’t need to be complicated—it can become one of your strongest growth levers during your Black Friday supply chain and logistics challenges.
Even the most automated logistics systems depend on people. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when workloads increase dramatically, human performance can make—or break—your delivery promise.
Warehouses and carriers alike face labour shortages, longer shifts, and higher error rates caused by fatigue or insufficient training.
Take these preventive strategies:
Your workforce isn’t just part of your logistics plan—it is THE plan. Treating your employees as a strategic asset ensures that when the pressure rises, your operations stay strong and responsive.
Even with the best logistics planning, delays happen. Weather, customs, or capacity issues can still disrupt delivery timelines. But while you can’t always control every variable, you can control how you communicate with your customers.
During Black Friday, when shipping delays are unavoidable, clear communication isn’t optional—it’s your retention strategy.
Here’s what you are to do:
When customers feel informed, they’re far more forgiving small disruptions. Clear, proactive communication turns potential frustration into confidence—and often, long-term loyalty.
When every order counts, visibility becomes your most powerful performance tool. Without it, delays remain hidden until customers complain. With it, you can prevent problems before they occur.
Apply technologies that make a difference:
Van Express uses digital visibility tools to monitor every shipment across Europe, giving clients real-time insight into their supply chain performance. The result: fewer surprises, faster problem-solving, and more reliable customer experiences.
No retailer or e-commerce store should go through Black Friday logistics challenges alone.
The right logistics provider is your strategic partner in scalability and risk mitigation, which brings:
By partnering with an experienced transport provider like Van Express, you gain speed, reliability, and scalability for your business—three essential advantages in Europe’s most competitive shopping period.
Whether you need dedicated express van deliveries pr FTL shipments, our experienced fleet keeps your goods moving seamlessly across the continent.
Secure Black Friday delivery
While you’re preparing for this year’s Black Friday, use this table as your supply chain checklist to be ready and avoid unnecessary challenges.
Black Friday doesn’t have to overwhelm your operations. With early planning, flexible fulfillment, express transport, and proactive communication, you can turn the busiest shopping season into a competitive edge.
Middle-mile logistics is the crucial link between your warehouse and last-mile delivery partners—and it's where most Black Friday delays happen. To avoid bottlenecks, focus on three key strategies:
At Van Express, our dedicated express van services keep your middle-mile flowing smoothly with direct routes across Europe and no co-loading delays. Contact our logistics experts and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Start planning early enough – ideally already in August or September. If you wait until mid-October, you’re already too late.
Lock in your capacity with Van Express ahead of time avoid Black Friday transportation delays. This way you won’t only secure reliable delivery, but you’ll also protect your business from last-minute price increase, so you can move your goods with confidence and control.
We prioritize fast delivery times. Domestic shipments typically arrive within 24 hours, while international deliveries across Europe take 24–48 hours based on route distance.
What sets us apart during Black Friday is our dedicated approach—your cargo gets its own vehicle, eliminating delays from shared loads, hub stops, or freight transfers.
Reserve your transport capacity 8-12 weeks in advance to guarantee space during peak season and avoid the rate increases that hit closer to November.
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