As we approach the busiest time of the year for ecommerce, one recurring issue highlights a critical vulnerability in many logistic strategies: relying on a single carrier. The consequences can ripple far beyond delayed deliveries, impacting customer experience, brand reputation, and ultimately, revenue.
Here’s why having just one carrier is a gamble you can’t afford to take—and why it might already be costing you more than you realize.
The Risks of Relying on a Single Carrier
During peak periods, putting all your deliveries through one carrier can turn small disruptions into major setbacks:
- Next-day services get suspended as networks struggle to cope.
- Tracking updates fall short, leaving customers in the dark.
- Support teams get overwhelmed with “Where’s my order?” calls and emails.
The consequences are measurable. According to Which.co.uk, 40% of online shoppers experienced late deliveries last year. Worse, one in four shoppers abandoned their purchases after seeing an unreliable courier listed at checkout.
The result? Delays, lost revenue, and damaged relationships. Peak season—when sales opportunities are at their highest—becomes a time of stress and missed potential.
How Multi-Carrier Shipping Builds Resilience
Retailers who embrace multi-carrier shipping gain the flexibility to manage peak-season volumes, reduce delivery delays, and offer customers a smoother experience. For companies like Elgiganten and JYSK, adding carriers and managing them efficiently through nShift has been a strategic advantage.
Elgiganten: More Delivery Options, More Opportunities
Elgiganten, a leading electronics retailer, handles 5 million parcels annually and leverages nShift’s platform to stay ahead of the competition by offering a wide range of delivery options.
“With the world’s largest carrier library available in [nShift], we can easily select the carriers that we need. This gives us more opportunities for freight and transport than our competitors, while we are also able to offer our customers more options for delivery.”
By connecting to multiple carriers, Elgiganten can allocate deliveries dynamically and scale seamlessly during demand spikes, ensuring customers get the service they expect even during peak seasons.
JYSK: Expanding Markets with Faster Carrier Onboarding
For JYSK, a global home goods retailer, quickly onboarding new carriers was a critical factor in supporting their online expansion. With nShift, JYSK streamlined their ability to add carriers and expand into new regions.
“[nShift] accepted the challenge and as a result have become a key strategic partner since day one in our online journey, by allowing us to quickly onboard new carriers and expand into new markets.”
This partnership enabled JYSK to manage deliveries efficiently across their growing international footprint, making it easier to adapt to market demands and ensure reliable service.
These real-world examples demonstrate the benefits of a multi-carrier strategy:
- Faster carrier onboarding to meet changing market or customer demands.
- More delivery options for customers, improving satisfaction and reducing cart abandonment.
- Dynamic allocation of shipments to avoid bottlenecks and manage peak-season surges.
By leveraging a flexible, scalable delivery network, retailers like Elgiganten and JYSK ensure they can thrive under pressure—no matter how high the demand.
Why Multi-Carrier Management Works for Retailers
Retailers who rely on a multi-carrier strategy unlock practical benefits that protect their business and enhance customer experience:
- Spread delivery volumes to avoid bottlenecks when one carrier becomes overwhelmed.
- Scale capacity quickly to meet surges in demand without disruption.
- Offer customers choice with express, eco-friendly, or pick-up delivery options.
The result is straightforward: these retailers are able to minimize disruptions, reduce customer complaints, and protect peak-season revenue.
Did Black Friday Push Your Limits?
If your delivery operations struggled during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, ask yourself:
- How many orders were delayed because a single carrier couldn’t keep up?
- How many sales were lost because customers lost confidence at checkout?
- How many hours did your team spend firefighting complaints instead of focusing on growth?
Peak season doesn’t need to be this stressful. A multi-carrier shipping strategy puts you back in control. By diversifying your carriers and using the right technology, you can respond to demand spikes, manage delays proactively, and deliver on your promises to customers.
Prepare Now for Next Peak Season
At nShift, we connect retailers to 1,000+ carriers across 190 countries, helping you build a delivery network that is flexible, resilient, and ready for anything.
- Allocate shipments dynamically to the best-performing carriers.
- Monitor carrier performance in real time to stay ahead of issues.
- Keep customers informed with proactive, branded delivery updates.
Peak season should be a time for growth—not stress. With the right delivery strategy in place, you can turn logistical challenges into opportunities for customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
Ready to build a resilient delivery network? Learn how nShift can help.
