Kimball Midwest Blog

Delivery and Fulfillment is Risky Business

Written by Kimball Midwest | December 15, 2017
As we are deep into the holiday season, some people might be getting nervous about whether their gifts will arrive in time to be wrapped and put under the tree. Getting packages and receiving everything you order can be a risk when your time is limited.

When it comes to delivery, you know what companies to trust, and the big dogs in the delivery industry put up some very impressive figures all year long.

According to UPS’ website, in 2016, UPS delivered 4.9 billion packages and documents globally. With similar numbers, as stated on its website, FedEx ships more than 13 million packages per day.

The holiday season is a different game, though. Per a press release posted in October, the United States Postal Service is expecting to deliver 15 billion pieces of mail and 850 million packages during the holiday season (Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day). That’s a 10 percent increase from the 2016 holiday season.

As far as fulfillment goes, that’s all on the company you buy from. Here are some questions you should consider when placing an order that you need a quick turnaround on:

  1. Is this a trustworthy company?
  2. Do you know if this company’s stock fluctuates at certain times of the year (i.e., the holiday season at retail stores)?
  3. Have you had problems with fulfillment with this company before?
  4. Is the company committed to completing and delivering orders in a timely fashion?

If you can answer these questions in a way that makes you feel comfortable, you should be in good hands. However, it’s always a good idea to check delivery times to ensure the delivery service is operating smoothly.


If you want to be a customer of a company that has a 99%+ fill rate on orders and same-day shipping, contact your local Kimball Midwest Representative.