How Well Do Your Delivery Operations Hold Up Under Peak Pressure?

In today's fast-paced world of e-commerce, delivery performance often makes or breaks a sale. Nearly 23% of shoppers abandon their carts when delivery timelines are slow or unclear, showing how critical speed and transparency are to customer conversion.

During sales campaigns such as 11.11, 12.12 or even monthly payday sales, orders can multiply overnight. While this creates exciting growth opportunities, it also increases pressure on fulfilment, sorting, and delivery teams. When hundreds of parcels move simultaneously, operational precision becomes vital.

Clear communication around delivery timelines benefits both businesses and customers by setting the right expectations, even during busy periods. With proper planning for higher order volumes, businesses can keep operations steady and fulfillments seamless throughout peak seasons.

What Is an SLA and Why Does It Matter to Your Business

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a shared understanding between a business and its partner that defines how service performance is measured.

For merchants selling goods, an SLA sets expectations around delivery timeframes, service conditions, and performance metrics. It helps establish accountability and predictability, which is especially valuable during sales campaigns when parcel volumes spike.

SLAs also serve as a planning tool as they help operators allocate resources effectively, anticipate operational strain, and maintain service reliability even when order volumes exceed typical levels. More importantly, having clear SLAs makes it easier to communicate accurate delivery timelines to customers, thus reducing uncertainty and minimising complaints.

Why Peak Sales Periods Increase Delivery Risk

Malaysian e-commerce has shown just how fast things can escalate during major campaigns. During Ramadan Raya 2025, TikTok Shop Mall recorded 100% year-on-year growth, setting a new record on the platform. 

Customers buying in the moment expect their purchases to arrive swiftly, but high-volume sales compress fulfilment, sorting, and delivery schedules. Parcels pass through more touchpoints in a short period of time, increasing the risk of misrouting, delays, or exceptions if operations aren’t structured tightly enough.

For SMEs, each disrupted delivery can have tangible repercussions from refunds and cancellations to poor reviews that affect brand credibility. Building delivery resilience is essential to avoid these pitfalls and protect growth momentum.

Looking for ways to improve your sales on TikTok? Read on here.

How Having Delivery Reliability Supports Growth During Sales Peaks

Reliable delivery performance does more than getting parcels from point A to B, it builds confidence. Service Level Agreements help keep operations organised during high-traffic periods by defining measurable service standards.

When performance remains consistent, fewer delivery exceptions occur. This reduces strain on customer service teams, lowering the volume of enquiries and follow-ups during busy campaigns. Businesses can then focus on fulfilling new orders rather than managing delivery issues.

In turn, clear and predictable delivery outcomes reinforce customer trust, supporting steady sales growth even when demand surges.

Conclusion

Sales surges are a hallmark of a successful online business, but they also challenge every part of the supply chain. By planning ahead and setting clear service expectations through SLAs, SMEs can manage these periods more effectively while maintaining delivery confidence.

Pos Malaysia consistently achieves 90–95% on-time delivery performance for parcels and domestic letters, supported by an extensive national network across Malaysia. Partnering with a reliable provider ensures your business stays on track, even when order volumes climb.

Learn more about how to be our contract customer here [link]