Peak season reveals the truth about packaging and operational performance. Here are the key lessons teams can carry forward — from damage data insights to system flexibility, sustainability expectations, and how to turn post‑peak findings into next‑year improvements.
Peak season has a way of revealing the truth.
No matter how much planning goes into forecasts, staffing models, or packaging strategies, the busiest stretch of the year exposes what’s working and what still needs attention. Now that the dust has settled, it’s the right moment to pause, step back, and run a post‑peak review. Doing so helps teams identify the bottlenecks, the bright spots, and the next set of improvements worth prioritizing.
Below are a few lessons this year reinforced across operations.
1. Packaging Is an Operational Lever, Not Just a Cost Line
During peak, packaging decisions ripple across the entire operation. When materials are right‑sized, intuitive to pack and engineered for protection, teams work faster and damage rates stay low. When they’re not, inefficiencies multiply slowing throughput, frustrating teams and increasing returns.
This peak season made it clear once again: packaging optimization isn’t only about reducing materials. It’s about unlocking throughput, improving labor efficiency, and protecting the customer experience at scale.
2. Flexibility Beats Perfection
Even the best forecasts and models need room to flex. Demand spikes, SKU mix shifts, and transportation constraints rarely follow the script.
The operations that performed best weren’t necessarily the most complex, they were the most adaptable.
Here’s what “flexibility” looks like in practice:
- Modular packaging systems: formats that work across multiple SKUs without constant changeovers.
- Versatile materials: solutions that accommodate different product profiles or fragility levels without needing a new SKU for every scenario.
- Scalable pack stations: workstations that can quickly expand capacity (additional surfaces, printers, tape heads, etc.) or reconfigure for different packing tasks when volumes shift.
These choices make it easier for teams to adjust in real time without sacrificing protection or speed.
3. Damage Data Is One of the Most Valuable Signals
Returns happen for many reasons, but damage‑related returns are among the most actionable. They point directly to improvements in materials, methods or handling environments.
A powerful data point to keep in mind: 52–56% of ecommerce returns are due to damaged or defective items — the top preventable reason for returns.
Teams that capture and review this information early gain an edge. They can quickly pinpoint avoidable failures and make smarter adjustments before the next surge hits.
Consider including the following in your post‑peak damage review:
- Which SKUs drove the most damage‑related returns?
- Were certain materials or pack methods over‑represented?
- Did any carriers or lanes show disproportionate damage rates?
- Are there patterns in how associates are packing specific items?
4. Sustainability Expectations Don’t Pause for Peak
Customer expectations around sustainability didn’t relax just because the season got busy. If anything, peak amplified scrutiny around excess packaging, unnecessary void fill, and waste.
This year reinforced a critical truth: sustainable solutions must perform under pressure. They must deliver protection, efficiency, and environmental responsibility simultaneously, even at peak volumes.
The takeaway? Sustainable packaging can’t be a “nice to have” initiative for quieter months. It needs to be integrated into high‑volume realities.
5. The Real Work Starts After the Rush
Peak season isn’t the finish line, it’s the feedback loop.
The most valuable insights come from what happens next: the post‑peak review. This is where teams identify what slowed throughput, where damage occurred, which packaging choices performed best, and where process improvements can meaningfully move the needle.
A strong post‑peak review should include:
- A full packaging performance audit
- Throughput and labor‑efficiency metrics
- Damage and return‑rate analysis
- Material usage vs. Forecast
Now is the moment to document those lessons, test adjustments, and build them into next year’s strategy.
Peak season will always be demanding but each one leaves us smarter if we take the time to listen to the data and to the people on the floor.
What lessons did peak season reinforce for your team this year?
