Your BFCM Warehouse Can’t Be the Bottleneck (Fix It Now)

Hey there,

By the time Black Friday hits, your job should be done.

Products are developed, inventory is ready, marketing is queued.

But there’s one last piece that makes or breaks the biggest weekend of the year:

Your warehouse.

I’ve seen brands spend 5 months planning hero launches—only to stall on the loading dock because of outdated processes, bottlenecks, or last-minute miscommunication.

So today, I’m giving you a checklist I wish every DTC founder had before peak season.

This is Part 4 of our BFCM Prep Series—and it’s where strategy meets execution.

⚠️ The Real Cost of a Warehouse Bottleneck

Let’s get specific. Here’s what happened to a client last year:

• Issue: Their 3PL wasn’t updated on bundle SKUs and BFCM shipping promos.
  

• Result: 22% of BFCM orders were mispacked or delayed.
  

• Cost: ~$38,000 in refunds, lost sales, and CX team overtime.

The kicker? Their inventory and forecast were perfect.
It was the final mile that failed.

Don’t let your operations stall when everything else is ready.

🔧 Warehouse Optimization Tactics (Even If You Don’t Own One)

Whether you're in-house, with a 3PL, or using a hybrid model, these apply:

1. Pre-BFCM Capacity Check

• Will your warehouse need extra headcount for peak volume?
  

• Is there a cap on daily orders picked/packed?
  

• How much space is allocated for BFCM SKUs?

💡 Action: Schedule a peak volume simulation now.

2. BFCM Prep SOPs (Yes, You Need One)

Make sure your fulfillment team has:

• A priority SKU map (which products go out first)
  

• A packing cheat sheet for bundles or promos
  

• Updated return handling instructions

💡 Action: Create a shared doc with your marketing and ops leads by October 15.

3. Sync Your Cutoffs Across the Org

When’s your real last ship date for each region?
Have you factored in carrier delays?

💡 Action: Set internal shipping deadlines at least 3 days earlier than advertised—and get marketing to adjust promo copy.

✅ What To Do This Week

Here’s how to get started—no overwhelm:

• Book a warehouse alignment call with your 3PL or fulfillment team
  

• Map out the top 10 SKUs by projected volume
  
  

• Confirm your receiving deadline for incoming inventory

Review any temporary hires or overtime capacity

Final Thought

Most DTC teams obsess over ads and creatives in Q4. But the brands that win?
They make fulfillment their secret weapon.

Because every product you don’t ship on time is money lost and trust broken.

Let’s avoid that.

Here’s to a smooth final mile,
Lara