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During the Height of Summer, Prepare for the Winter Rush

Usually around this time of year, everyone starts talking about preparing for peak holiday season. They’re getting their labor on demand, transportation, warehousing and distribution solutions ready.

And they should. But let’s be honest – there’s no such thing as the peak season. There are many peaks.

Because consumers don’t buy the bulk of their back-to-school, gardening, Halloween, golf, football, etc., purchases at the same time every year.

Yes, the winter holidays dominate retail. And they likely always will. But every business has different peak seasons throughout the year. And they likely always will.

What has changed, though, are the staffing tools you have available. Today’s labor-on-demand solutions beat hiring part-time labor off the street or calling the temp agency. Fill rates that top 99% and turnover rates less than 20% could help make peak season 2025 your banner year.

Because in the history of supply chain, it has never been easier than now to reduce your baseline of full-time staff and build flexibility into your cost structure.

Different Peaks, Different Labor-on-Demand Timelines

Let’s start with the obvious: Peak season for the holidays depends on your spot in the supply chain.

Wholesalers hit their peak in August and September. Why? Because you have to get your goods to retailers in time for them to list online or stock store shelves. If you’re a wholesaler and haven’t already secured labor on demand for summer, you’re late. You need to connect with Tompkins Ventures now.

B2B companies usually peak in September and October. Your customers are stocking up before their November and December push.

Retailers – especially those with brick-and-mortar stores – hit peak season in October and November, getting product into stores before Black Friday.

Direct-to-consumer eCommerce? Your peak is the end of the road: Thanksgiving to Christmas. That’s the two-day-delivery madness that happens after the shelves are stocked.

It’s kind of easy once you think about it. Every link in the supply chain must prepare months in advance. And yet, every year, companies wait too long to secure labor, transportation and warehousing capacity.

If you’re still waiting to plan your holiday strategy, you’re not playing chess. You’re playing checkers.

Back Into Peak Season from the Sale Date

Beyond the holiday peak season, your need to plan labor on demand by backing into your peak from the moment of sale.

Want to dominate the Halloween market? That consumer sale timeframe happens between Oct. 1–25. So, your company must stock your retail shelves by late September. Your distribution center needs goods on hand by August or early September.

That means Halloween wholesalers need labor on demand by July or August – possibly even earlier, depending on overseas sourcing.

The same goes for seasonal categories.

Golf gear hits peak sales in March. So, fulfillment labor needs ramping in January and February.

Gardening tools? You’re stocking by April to sell in May and June.

Footballs and back-to-school? That’s an August and September sales peak. So wholesale labor demand starts in June, retail labor in July and eCommerce labor in August.

Again, it’s all about working backward.

Lower Fixed Costs, Smarter Flexibility

New labor-on-demand solutions let you adjust the timing to your peak, not somebody else’s.

Because if you’re still hiring 100% of your workforce full-time, you’re burning cash in the slow season and scrambling in the busy one.

That’s where labor on demand comes to your rescue. Our partner’s Uber-like platform connects you with trained, W2 employees – not 1099 gig workers – who are vetted, background-checked, trained and supervised.

They hit your warehouse, distribution center or fulfillment center ready to work, not waiting to be trained.

Need a full second shift next week? Done. Need to cut that in half the week after? Also done. With these impressive results:

  • Fill rates? 99.2%. That’s astronomically better than the typical average of 70%-80%.
  • Turnover rate? Just 16.5% compared to 48%–52% for traditional agencies.
  • Compliance risk? Virtually eliminated. Again, Tompkins Ventures connects you with W2 employees, not sketchy 1099s that might land you in court due to a worker misclassification lawsuit.

One client staffed an entire shift – from zero to fully operational – in 72 hours. Another got high-quality labor at no extra cost versus their prior agency – and told us the quality was better.

It’s not just a workforce issue. This is about strategy, profitability and staying competitive.

This Is Your Labor-on-Demand Window

For the holidays, right now is when you should be locking in labor-on-demand solutions. That prepares your operations to scale up or down as goods move through the various parts of your supply chain.

Labor on demand lets you ride every peak without the burden of full-time headcount during the valleys.

You get:

  • Real-time dashboards for visibility and KPIs.
  • Customized training for your operation.
  • Pros you can rate and build into a preferred pool.
  • A fast track to scalability with no human resources headaches.

And optionality is built into this solution. Whether you just need a few professionals or want to contract out an entire warehouse, Tompkins Ventures can answer your call.

You don’t have to get stuck in the seasonal scramble again this year.

Let’s build a labor strategy that fits your peak – whether that’s the traditional holiday season, Halloween, Mother’s Day or whatever.

In fact, labor on demand can help organizations handle peaks within weeks, peaks within months, peaks within different seasons. Today’s technology-aided labor-on-demand solutions offer huge potential for companies to level their headcounts and eliminate overtime.

Reach out to Tompkins Ventures. We’ll connect you with a labor-on-demand solution that delivers trained professionals, not warm bodies.

Peak is coming. Are you ready?