Holiday Guide 2023 – Tackle the Shopping Season Like a Pro

Holiday Guide 2023 – Tackle the Shopping Season Like a Pro

Can you feel it? The holiday spirit is in the air again. Both shoppers and retailers alike are eagerly anticipating the joys of the shopping season. So, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get your online store ready for the festivities.

What do the numbers say?

  • The upcoming holiday season is causing a lot of excitement – a whopping 95% of consumers are planning on making purchases during this time of year. 
  • Consumers are projected to spend an average of $1,652 this year, higher than pre-pandemic levels.
  • 66% of holiday shoppers plan to take advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Monday week to benefit from promotional events and discounts to help them save money, given the current inflation.

People want to make this holiday season memorable by splurging on gifts and experiences, so this is your opportunity to claim a slice of the profit pie and fa la la la la la la ka-ching.

Keep reading, as we’re about to dive into maximizing your profits during the holiday rush and boosting your chances of having a successful holiday shopping season. From improving your processes and meeting deadlines to finding the best deals and optimizing your marketing efforts – you’ll find everything you need. 

So, without further ado, let’s find out how your partnership with Printify can make these holidays extra jolly and rewarding.

Printify Improvements

Holiday Guide 2023 – Tackle the Shopping Season Like a Pro 1

We’re strong advocates for making things better for you, our merchants. So, we’re constantly improving our platform and your experience. 

As we’re well aware of the end-of-the-year rush approaching, there are a few new features that we’d like to share. All in the spirit of helping you lead a successful shopping frenzy.

Printify Express Delivery

Keep selling until December 19 with Printify Express Delivery

Extend your holiday profit season by up to 7 days with our bestsellers – the Bella+Canvas 3001 and Gildan 5000.

The stress of last-minute holiday shopping can get to you. And while we may have procrastinated on timely shopping ourselves, it’s frustrating to miss out on those extra sales you could have made in your store. 

Luckily, with Printify Express Delivery, your customers can now purchase and receive their t-shirts within just 2-3 business days. 

We’re also excited to share that Express Delivery extends the Christmas cut-off date by seven days compared to other methods. This year, our cut-off date is December 19. So, put your worries aside and let Printify take care of your holiday goodie deliveries.

Learn more about express delivery here.

Express delivery is available for all states within the US mainland. Please note that for Alaska and Hawaii, standard delivery is currently the only available option.

Printify Connect

Let us be your little customer service elves this holiday season with Printify Connect. This is an add-on for the Premium subscription plan, plus – it’s free. It saves you time by letting your customers report any problems directly to the Printify Support Team. This way, customers receive quick responses, and you spend less time on order issues.

Printify Connect is compatible with sales channels offering a stand-alone store. Marketplaces like Etsy, eBay US, Walmart US, and TikTok Shop US are incompatible with Printify Connect.

Gift Messages

The best gifts are the ones from the heart, so why not help spread some holiday cheer with our Gift Messages available on Etsy stores? Let your customers leave heartfelt messages that will be printed on-demand with your design and added to that special gift order.

Branding Inserts and Neck Labels

Make a lasting impression that will stay with your customer long beyond the holiday season with our branding features: inserts and neck labels. Add that little something that will make your t-shirts feel extra special with a limited edition holiday neck label design, and use a wintery insert to promote your socials or run a post-holiday sale campaign. 

With our branding features, you can stand out from the competition and make a great impression during the busy holiday season.

Mockup Generator Updates

Want to create truly unique holiday designs? Together with our background removal feature, AI image generator (a cool new feature we added for your creative explorations in our Mockup Generator), and pattern tool, you can create truly unique products like amazing wrapping papers. 

But don’t stop there. For a truly holiday feel, use the custom background feature to add a festive twist to the standard mockups.

Make It Happen Today!

Maintain a “Hands-On” Approach to Order Management

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As the number of sales in your stores increases, it becomes more beneficial to keep a close eye on your order management panel. Having a real-time understanding of order statuses lets you avoid or reduce many possible holiday hassles.

Reminder

To reduce out-of-stock and delay issues during the busy shopping season, please enable Order Routing. This feature solves many problems and can help guarantee that orders are fulfilled as efficiently as possible.

Order Statuses and How to Manage Them

1. Pre-production statuses

On Hold: Submit Order & Sending to Production

After a customer purchases on your sales channel, within a few hours or sooner, the order will appear in the Orders tab. It will be sent to production based on your selected order approval settings. You can also send the orders to production manually by clicking Submit order.

On Hold: Action Required

If your order is marked On Hold, this usually means there’s an issue. It could be that the item is out of stock or discontinued. Sometimes, it’s just a payment glitch. No worries – just head to the order’s page and follow the steps to sort it out. Once everything’s fixed, your order will be sent to production.

Use our Unavailable Variant Replacement Tool to find a replacement for the affected product, or enable Order Routing so that orders placed in the future will be automatically routed to the most suitable alternative Print Provider.

2. Production statuses

In Production

Your order has reached the Print Provider and is in their printing queue. The average production time is typically 2-7 business days; however, delays can occur during the holiday peak. Stay informed by following our Network Fulfillment Status page, which displays the latest information about each Print Provider’s production status.

  • You can request a cancellation/address change or a shipping upgrade if needed. We’ll do our best to make it happen. However, note that due to the specifics of the production process, it’s not guaranteed that we’ll be able to fulfill your request.
  • Please keep in mind that orders containing 12 or more items can take longer to be fulfilled.

Has Issues

There could be an address-related issue, like a missing first/last name or mismatched zip code. 

  • Double-check the accuracy of the customer’s address and make sure that all required fields are filled out. You can update the shipping address by clicking Edit above the customer’s address within the order details.

There might also be a deeper issue that prevents orders from reaching production. In most cases, our Support Team can resolve any technical issues without your involvement. However, if needed, we’ll contact you within 24 hours.

Canceled

Sometimes, the Print Provider can cancel orders due to unforeseen circumstances like production or stock issues. In this case, we’ll inform you of the cancellation and give you a full refund. 

If you request to cancel the order, you can’t send the said order to production again. However, you can create a duplicate order and send it to production.

3. Shipping statuses

Once the status of an order is marked Ready to ship, it’s fulfilled (produced) and ready for shipping. Access the tracking link for the order on the Orders page. Please allow up to 72 hours for the first tracking updates to appear within the tracking link, as sometimes the initial scan might be delayed, but the package is on its way. 

Once the order is received by the shipping carrier, it will be marked as Shipped. 

If the order is marked as On the way, it’s in transit and is on its way to its final destination. The order status will change based on the success of the delivery. Read more here.

Delivery information updates vary: 

  • For domestic deliveries, it can take up to 5 business days
  • For international deliveries, up to 7 business days 

Check the Shipping Rates page of the selected Print Provider to see the expected delivery times.

Note

If the deliveries are taking longer than expected, it's a good idea for customers to contact their post office (and have the tracking number ready). Looks like Santa might've kept them extra busy with loads of presents this year!

Regarding international orders: If there are no updates within seven days since the order was shipped, we recommend the customer to check with their local post office, if possible.

  • If the customer’s local post office can’t locate the package, please contact our Support Team for further assistance. Please note that during the holiday period, our responses may be delayed.

If you have questions, browse our Help Center or submit a request to our Support Team. This will lead to a quicker response and faster resolution of any underlying issues.

A Reminder on Taxation

Printify is required to collect taxes (sales tax in the USA, VAT in the EU, and specific taxes in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) on all print-on-demand orders. Make sure you’re fully aware of the incoming sales volumes – and what that means for your legal requirements.

Reaching Out to Merchant Support

Holiday Guide 2023 – Tackle the Shopping Season Like a Pro 3

Our Merchant Support agents work hard 24/7, especially during the holidays. They’ll solve problems, advise, guide, and help in every way possible to ensure a successful holiday season for our merchants.

Get in Touch Fast

If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact our team through the My Requests page in your Printify account. You’ll need to be logged in to access it. From there, submit a request, and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Experiencing an issue with your order? Use the Submit Issue menu under the affected item in your Printify Order details page. From here, you can request a tracking status update, reprint, or refund. We got you!

Keep in mind that the holiday season is the busiest period of the year for Printify, especially for our Merchant Support Team, so response times may be longer than usual. 

Please don’t send us multiple messages regarding the same issue, as this can create unnecessary delays and make it harder for us to respond to everyone promptly.

Solve It Yourself

There’s a good chance that the issue you’re facing has been detailed. 

To speed up resolutions, please provide photo or video evidence when reaching out – follow our guidelines in the Help Center for more information. If a product is misprinted, damaged, or low-quality, you can get a free replacement or refund within 30 days of delivery.

Live Chat

Chat with Snappy, our virtual agent, anytime by clicking on the green chat bubble on our website. Snappy can help you with virtually any topic and will guide you through the necessary steps.

If you need further assistance, Snappy can hand off the conversation to one of our live support agents upon request.

Please note that on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, our live chat will be off. Santa’s helpers also need to rest.

But don’t worry, we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

For more information on how to make the most of the holiday rush and ensure a successful season, check out our article on contacting the Printify Support Team.

Make It Happen Today!

Deadlines are important for both eCommerce retailers and shoppers. They mark the final cutoff dates for order arrival. To ensure the delivery of last-minute Christmas gifts on time, keep your store and buyers up-to-date with deadlines during the holiday rush.

One of the easiest ways to keep customers informed about shipping expectations is to use the delivery formula: Fulfillment time = Production time + Shipping time.

Use our recommended order submission deadlines to ensure orders arrive on time for Christmas. Keep in mind that the overall shipping situation is subject to rapid change, so consider these as general suggestions rather than a promise. 

This page will be continually updated with current information. If you’re transparent with your customers, they’ll be more understanding regarding delays, complaints, and any other issues that may arise. 

Note

Please be aware that these are just recommendations, not hard rules.

In the meantime, we have some suggestions and tips for the upcoming holiday shipping deadlines.

  • Make sure your online store is up-to-date (listings, products, prices, etc.)
  • Create holiday specials for early shoppers
  • Keep your customers informed about deadlines
  • Set up automation for your orders (Order and Geo Routing)
  • Come up with a whole process for handling returns

Optimize Your Store (And Processes) For the Holidays

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The holiday shopping rush and high demand increase shipping delays and issues year after year. That’s why it’s crucial to get ahead of these potentially unpleasant situations and optimize your store and processes.

Here are some tips to make sure your niche understands holiday fulfillment’s realities. To ace the holiday rush:

  • Stay Informed. Printify keeps a close eye on our Print Provider production times. However, these are simply helpful estimates. They aren’t a rock-solid standard.
  • Use Banners. There’s no better way for a shopkeeper to explain rules and deadlines than by pointing them out on a clearly displayed sign.
  • Update Product Descriptions. Customers almost always read the information directly below an item, so this is a great location to include essential details.
  • Include Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies. It’s always worth developing a bit of store protection. An open policy board goes a long way toward clearing up potential problems.

Quick Tip

Consider using Printify's Terms of Service page as a foundation for your shop's policies. This ensures your policies align with Printify's, especially regarding refunds.

  • Consider Virtual Assistants. As a store grows more profitable, it requires more workforce. If you plan to scale above 10,000 sales, it’s a lot to handle alone.
  • Check Your Subscription Status. Ensure your Printify Premium Subscription is active throughout the holiday season to maximize profits and avoid pricing pitfalls.
  • Avoid Bulk Orders. As production will be strained by upticks in order frequency, it’s best to avoid bulk orders to guarantee on-time delivery.
  • Refunds Instead of Reprints. With the surge in holiday orders, every step, from sourcing to shipping, can experience delays. We understand how important timely deliveries are. That’s why, if there’s a hiccup and a reprint won’t make it to the end customer due to order cutoff deadlines of the specific Print Provider, we’ll offer refunds.
  • Use Templates. We’ve provided a few good templates below for your communication with the customers during the holiday season. Feel free to customize them to your store’s needs.
  • Stay Updated. It pays to stay informed with so many new and exciting products, updates, and developments arising in the POD world. Check our blog and YouTube channel for POD-related content. Consider joining our Facebook community – the POD Rockstars – to be the first to know all Printify updates, news, and product announcements.

Note

Please remember that under the Printify Terms of Service, you are not allowed to post or upload any content that infringes on copyrights, trademarks, or violates the rights of others.

Useful Holiday Templates

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Hi there,

Throughout the festive surge, the processing period for most orders falls between 4 and 10 business days. Please keep in mind that this does not include the shipping – it will take some additional time.

Best wishes,

[Your name]

Hey there,

Just a heads-up: like last year, our shipping partners can’t promise exact delivery dates. So, we’re giving you our best guesstimate for holiday orders. 

For your US customers, try to get your orders in by December XX. For your international buyers, aim for December XX.

To keep things merry and bright, we suggest placing those Christmas orders early. It’ll make for a smoother, jollier season!

In case you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Wishing you all the festive feels,

Cheers,

[Your name]

Hello,

I wanted to let you know that once an order is placed, we can’t speed up or upgrade the shipping due to the high volume at shipping facilities. It’s that bustling time of the year, and, as you can imagine, many are hoping to get their gifts around the same time. This could lead to some potential shipping delays.

I hope this clarifies things. Do let us know if you have any other questions.

Warm regards,

[Your name]

Hello,

Just to give you a heads-up, after the payment is confirmed, the order takes a little journey before it reaches its final destination. Once the product is printed, packaged, and handed over to the carrier, we’ll send you a tracking number by email. Simply click on that link to see the order’s delivery status.

I hope this clears things up. Let me know if there’s anything more I can help you with.

Warmly,

[Your name]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out. I’m genuinely sorry about the issue with your order, but rest assured, we’re here to make it right. Please let me know if you’d prefer a complimentary replacement or a refund. To help us move forward, could you please share a clear, well-lit photo of the product in question?

One more thing: shipping tends to get a bit slower between December 1-25. During that window, we’ll be providing refunds as the primary resolution.

I hope to resolve this swiftly for you.

Warm regards,

[Your name]

Make It Happen Today!

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14 comments

  1. Charlene Watters
    December 14

    These articles are so helpful! Thank you.

    1. Florence Kingsley
      December 15

      Hi there Charlene,
      We are glad to hear it was helpful to you!

  2. AB
    October 12

    Very helpful. Thank you.

    1. Martha Simmons
      October 17

      Hi AB,
      Glad you enjoyed this!

  3. Kelly
    October 11

    Thank you! I’m sure I will be referring back to this a lot the next few months

    1. Martha Simmons
      October 17

      Hi Kelly,
      Happy to hear you enjoyed this and find the article helpful!

  4. Sylvia
    October 10

    Thank you! I’m glad to be working with Printify.

    1. Martha Simmons
      October 17

      Hi Sylvia,
      Happy you’re here with us!

  5. Sonja Nettles
    December 19

    OMGoodness! This was so helpful! I hate I’m just seeing this. Ready for the next holiday! (God’s Will) thanks so much!

    1. Martha Simmons
      December 20

      Hi Sonja,
      Thank you for your feedback, we are happy to hear that you enjoyed the article!

  6. Rebecca Schneider
    December 3

    So helpful! Thank you!

    Rebecca Schneider

    1. Florence Kingsley
      December 6

      Thank you, we are happy to hear that you enjoyed this article!

  7. Kikie
    December 15

    Hello,

    I wonder if the fulfillment providers like Monster Digital will be working on holidays? How long do they have the holiday offs? Sorry, I’m just starting out and this came to my concern. Should I stop selling and start again by January? Thank you.

    Best,
    Kikie

    1. Naomi
      January 15

      Hi Kikie! Holiday cut-off dates are meant, so you could better understand when to stop placing orders that mean to arrive until Christmas. Sorry for the late response, however I hope that you have successfully started your store. Let us know if you have any other concerns!

      Best wishes,
      Naomi

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