Black Friday Cyber Monday is one of the most demanding and exciting times of the year for many brands.
This time serves as more than a sales event. It should also give you the insight you need to assess your 3PL. BFCM is a real-time stress test of your entire fulfillment operation.
This year at QuickBox, we saw just how high that stress bar can go.
Here are some of our highlights from this year’s BFCM:
📦 280,000+ packages shipped on Black Friday alone
And zooming in to see results for one client, a leading CPG brand:
📈 201% increase in average daily order volume
🚚 100% on-time shipments, with 11% of orders shipped early
🖥️ 100% system uptime across the peak window
These numbers don’t happen by accident. They’re the result of deliberate planning, tech, and people designed to pass the test when it matters most.
Now that the BFCM rush is behind us, this is the moment to step back and ask: How did your 3PL perform this BFCM?
In this blog, we’ll walk through the key performance areas you should assess your 3PL on, the metrics to use, and how QuickBox prepares for each area ahead of peak so we can deliver standout results for our clients during BFCM and beyond.
Order Fulfillment
Your 3PL’s core responsibility is simple to say and hard to execute at scale: get the right orders out, quickly, and on time. What happens inside your 3PL’s facilities directly affects your promises to customers. Efficient operations mean more orders out the door, fewer mistakes, and a smoother experience for your team.
Metrics to Review
- On-Time Order Processing Rate (%)
- Order Accuracy Rate (%)
- Percent of Orders Shipped Complete and On Time
How QuickBox Delivers on Order Fulfillment
At QuickBox, we design fulfillment to stay reliable even when volumes spike:
- We build peak-specific staffing and scheduling plans.
- We thoroughly train temp labor to maintain order accuracy levels.
- We track order SLA performance in real time so we can course-correct before small issues become big ones.
During BFCM, this planning translates into fast, accurate, and on-time fulfillment, not just on your best days, but on your busiest ones.
Inventory Management
You can’t sell what you don’t have, or what you think you have but actually don’t. During peak, inventory can move faster than ever, and visibility becomes critical.
Metrics to Review
- Inventory Accuracy (%)
- Inventory Visibility / Confidence
How QuickBox Delivers on Order Fulfillment
We treat inventory as the backbone of peak readiness:
- We partner with our clients ahead of time to forecast demand at the SKU level, taking promotions and channel mix into account.
- We use cycle counts and controls to maintain high accuracy, even as volume climbs.
- We give clients clear visibility into stock levels and movement, so there are no guessing games mid-peak.
The result: fewer unpleasant surprises and more confidence in every promotion you run.
Technology & Reporting
The last thing you need during the busiest time of the year is for the tech to go down or a headache trying to find your data. You need systems that scale and reports you can actually use.
Metrics to Review
- System Uptime (%)
- Reporting Satisfaction (1–5)
How QuickBox Handles Tech & Reporting
We build stability and insight into our tech approach:
- A powerful and flexible WMS is at the core of our operations, supported by an in-house IT team that stays on-site throughout BFCM
- We design integrations to be efficient and reliable, even under peak volume.
- We provide easy, secure access to reporting, so your teams can quickly see what’s happening across orders, inventory, and SLAs.
During BFCM, that means you stay online, informed, and in control, even as order volume climbs.
Shipping / Postage
Getting orders out the door is only half the job. Your customers judge the experience based on when packages arrive and your finance team feels the impact of how much it costs to get them there.
Metrics to Review
- On-Time Delivery Rate (%)
- Average Transit Time by Service Level
- Carrier Performance & Exception Rates
- Average Cost per Shipment / per Order
How QuickBox Plans for Shipping Success
At QuickBox, we approach shipping as both an experience opportunity and a cost opportunity, and we design for both. This is part of why we created our dynamic parcel program.
Here’s how we support brands going into peak:
- We align with carriers ahead of peak to understand volume caps, peak surcharges, and cutoff dates.
- We help you set realistic consumer-facing delivery promises based on actual carrier behavior.
- We ensure reliable, real-time tracking so your CX team can keep customers in the loop.
- With our Dynamic Parcel Program, we rate shop across a network of carriers, including national and regional options, to find the best mix of cost, speed, and reliability for your specific shipments.
- Because we aggregate volume across many brands, we’re able to negotiate strong volume discounts, and we pass those savings through to our clients.
- As rates and surcharges shift (especially during peak), our dynamic approach lets us continuously optimize which carrier and service level to use, instead of locking you into a one-size-fits-all setup.
The end result: Our clients get competitive shipping costs, smarter routing, and delivery performance that matches their brand promise, even with rising rates and peak-season surcharges in play.
Automation
Automation can be a powerful way to handle peak volume, but only when it’s thoughtfully designed and supported by strong processes and people.
Metrics to Review
- Percent of Orders Processed Through Automation
- Throughput Per Hour (Automated vs. Manual)
- Error Rates in Automated vs. Manual Flows
How QuickBox Uses Automation to Your Advantage
We use automation where it makes the biggest impact:
- A strategic mix of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), pick-to-light, and A-frame automation helps us optimize throughput and accuracy.
- For one large CPG client, during non-peak periods, 100% of their orders flow through automation via our A-frame. To support their BFCM order volume, which was impressively above forecast, we added manual pack-out lines to flex even higher.
- Our tech and IT teams stay deeply involved, ensuring uptime and continuously balancing orders between automated and manual workflows.
This approach gives you scalable, resilient capacity during BFCM and other peaks, without sacrificing control or reliability.
Value-Added Services
Peak is often when brands lean hardest on value-added services: special kits, holiday packaging, in-store displays, and more. Your 3PL should be able to support these needs without sacrificing speed and accuracy.
Areas to Grade
- Ability to complete product rework and refurbishment
- Ability to kit for orders (bundles, promos, holiday sets)
- Ability to design and assemble displays
- Ability to source packaging that optimizes shipping costs and supports your brand
- Ability to handle ticketing and labeling in compliance with retailer standards
How QuickBox Handles Value-Added Services
We view VAS as part of the total customer experience:
- QuickBox offers a wide range of custom and luxury packaging to elevate your holiday unboxing experience.
- We plan for seasonal kits, bundles, and inserts well ahead of peak, so they fit seamlessly into operations.
- Our teams are trained to manage compliance, labeling, and display needs without slowing down core fulfillment.
You get the branding and presentation you want, with the operational discipline you need.
Client Services
Even with strong operations, you need a partner who communicates clearly and has your back, especially when it’s busy.
Performance Areas to Review
- Responsiveness of Client Services
- Quality of Communication & Updates
- Dedicated Account Management
How QuickBox Shows Up for Clients
We believe strong fulfillment is part process, part partnership:
- You get a dedicated team that knows your brand and your business.
- We use proactive communication, especially during peak: sharing updates, flagging risks, and aligning on solutions.
- We make it easy for your ops, CX, and leadership teams to get the information they need.
We don’t disappear when things get busy, this is when we lean in.
If This Peak Hurt, Let’s Fix Your Operations for 2026
Right now, you might still be feeling the ripple effects of peak season: customer complaints from late deliveries, returns from incorrect orders, surprise carrier surcharges, or frustration about the lack of visibility you have into your own data.
Maybe your 3PL did “okay,” but you’re not sure you want to run the same playbook again next year. You don’t have to.
Now is the moment to turn those pain points into a better fulfillment strategy for 2026. Contact us for a free logistics consultation. We’ll walk through your BFCM performance, identify where your current setup is holding you back, and map out what a stronger, more scalable fulfillment partnership could look like.