It’s the most wonderful time of the year as the season of gift-giving is in full swing! This means now more than ever it’s time to get those shelves prepped and ready for the holiday rush. Whether you’ve been in the book business for less than a year or even a veteran, these tips will help ensure your store is prepared for everyone’s wish list.
You’ve probably heard it every year that it’s important to stock up early (and it is), but during a time where shipping items is a global problem, it’s a good idea to place your orders a few days earlier each week.For example, if you usually place your orders on a Tuesday, back it up a few days to Sunday instead, that way you can ensure a speedy delivery.
Don’t limit your bookstore to just the physical copies on your shelves. With Direct to Home, you can offer millions of online titles that can be shipped directly to your customer’s doorstep, or the doorstep of whoever your customer wishes. That way gift-giving just got easier!
We know getting your store prepped and ready even when it’s not holiday season takes a lot of time and effort. That’s why ipage has several features you can take advantage of to ensure your process runs as smooth as hot cocoa. A few key features that will be useful during holiday include:
Know exactly when your items will be in store and ready to fulfill someone’s wish list. To utilize this feature, click on the My Account tab and select UserAdministration. Under the User Administration section, click “Edit User,”check the “Enable for shipment notification” box, and then click “Submit.”
Get notified when a specific item is back in stock so you can order it right away. You can set this reminder on the title’s product page by clicking on the Notify Me button under the inventory details. (It’s also highly recommended to backorder titles as soon as possible so you’ll secure stock when there is more inventory.)
This new feature can track down your order letting you know where they are located so you aren’t left wondering where your items are. Start by clicking on the blue Find My Order button on the homescreen, then enter either your PO number or a specific title’s EAN/product code.
The easiest way to report your damages can now be found on ipage. You can access the form under the Help dropdown at the top of ipage or simply click here. The form contains all of the information we need to quickly process your claim so you can get the best quality items in a timely manner.
Need a refresher on mastering ipage? Visit here to watch a webinar where our expert walks you through the steps or take a look at other tools that can help here.
Your customer’s taste in gifts is as unique as the customer themselves, so make sure you are stocked up with a wide variety of items that go beyond books! From puzzles to video games to plush toys, don’t skip out on non-book items that could be the ultimate gift for someone.
View Gift & Games for your line of business:
Whether it’s holiday or beyond, at Ingram, we are always ready to help in any way we can!