{"id":164312,"date":"2026-07-01T11:32:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T10:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.international-logistics-group.com\/uk-en\/?p=164312"},"modified":"2026-07-01T11:32:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T10:32:20","slug":"preparing-for-peak-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.international-logistics-group.com\/uk-en\/insights\/preparing-for-peak-2026-164312\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for Peak 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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ILG Author Danny Ellard<\/a>Danny Ellard<\/a><\/span>01 Jul 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparing for Peak 2026<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How much has fulfilment changed in the last year…?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll be honest with you, Peak these days isn\u2019t what it used to be. Four years ago, you\u2019d grit your teeth, brace for a mad six weeks, and then collapse in January wondering what just happened. Now? It just sort of\u2026  never really stops. The reality is, the media, economic and political landscape in 2026 feels like we\u2019re all operating on shifting sands. Brands need to adapt – and fast – otherwise every weak point in your operation will be exposed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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So, what’s actually changed in the last few years?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First things first, Peak starts earlier and earlier every year and drags on longer than you\u2019d like. You\u2019ve got brands kicking off offers weeks before Black Friday<\/a> with customers spreading spend across the year and mini peaks popping up around Amazon Prime events and social drops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What that means in reality is that there\u2019s not one single pressure point. It\u2019s constant and you don\u2019t get a clean run-up and a clean finish, you get sustained demand. When that happens, the cracks in your operations won\u2019t wait until November. They\u2019ll show up in September and or even earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, fulfilment has properly become a bit of a battleground. Customers don\u2019t necessarily compare you to competitor brands of your size anymore. They compare you to Amazon* and the reality is, that\u2019s the bar now! So that means fast, reliable service with no dramas and what\u2019s more, your customers don\u2019t care how hard it is behind the scenes. If it doesn\u2019t arrive on time or stock\u2019s wrong or comms are off, then that\u2019s on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirdly, there\u2019s less room for error. Costs are up across the board (especially now with the squeeze from the De Minimis removal<\/a>), margins are tighter and you can\u2019t just throw bodies at the problem anymore. Everyone\u2019s trying to do more with less.  Which means Peak is less about throwing everything at growth and more about staying in control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What brands are worried about for Peak 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the bit people don\u2019t always say out loud even with the tightest forecasting. It\u2019s not just \u201chow big will we go?\u201d It\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n