Now that we’re past the halfway point of the year (can you believe it?), it’s time to get serious about peak season. When handled right, peak is an opportunity to drive more sales than ever, reach new markets, and continue to delight loyal customers.

But will tariffs, inflation, and other issues stand in the way?

Sucharita Kodali, retail industry analyst at Forrester, explains exactly what’s going on in the retail industry, what we can expect from the 2025 peak season, and how to get ready.

It’s no secret that the past few months have been full of economic uncertainty for both consumers and businesses. Sucharita says that while essential goods are still in high demand, retailers that sell non-essentials may be struggling.

“There is a particularly uncertain vibe [due to] … not knowing where the tariff situation may land, as well as consumer confidence not being terribly high, which means that a lot of discretionary items are more vulnerable.”

Sucharita points out an interesting contradiction: while consumer confidence has been “quite low,” spending levels in 2025 are still relatively high—even when adjusted for inflation. That’s good news for businesses moving into the holiday season.

Even so, she predicts that peak season will see heavy discounting as usual (consumers, rejoice!) unless brands face major supply chain issues.

She notes, “There's no reason to hold onto inventory and hoard it. So unless there's a supply shock, I can't envision a scenario where it's not going to be another heavy discounting season.”

The decision to frontload inventory depends on many factors, including storage and transportation costs, margins, categories, and anticipated demand. According to Sucharita, “Perhaps the biggest issue is [whether] you have cash. If you don't have any money and you don't have any savings, does it make sense to put yourself in credit card debt? No.”

So if you’re thinking about stocking up ahead of peak season, make sure your cash flow can support the extra costs you’ll incur.

• Connect with Sucharita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sucharitamulpuru/
• Visit Forrester’s website: https://www.forrester.com/bold/

In this episode of Unboxing Logistics, host Lori Boyer kicks off Season 5 with a fun and insightful discussion about gamification in the supply chain. Joined by Katie Brown, Senior Director of Product Management at Foot Locker, and Dylan Telford, Omnichannel Practice Lead at Summit Advisory Team, they explore how introducing game-like elements into warehouse operations can drive motivation, improve productivity, and even make picking and packing a bit more fun.

Gamification isn’t just displaying performance stats. Real impact comes when the experience feels rewarding, includes clear goals, and provides a reason to play, whether that’s pay-for-performance, team recognition, or personal growth.

“Everybody who's attempting to get to that win in the end is successful in playing the game.” —Dylan Telford

Before introducing competition or incentives, teams need to define what success looks like and track it consistently. Without goals and metrics, gamification falls flat.

“You need to be able to measure. Otherwise you're playing a game with no goals.” —Dylan Telford

Gamification shouldn’t be complicated. Start small, involve the team, and keep improving based on real feedback. And don’t forget: it’s just as important to lift up lower performers as it is to celebrate top ones.

“Sometimes bringing up the bottom is almost more impactful than raising the top of the bar.” —Katie Brown

Links

• Connect with Katie Brown on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katie-brown-41807347
• Visit Foot Locker’s website: https://www.footlocker.com/
• Connect with Dylan Telford on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dylan-telford-b7404769
• Visit Summit Advisory Team’s website: https://summitadvisoryteam.com/

In this EasyPost Insider episode of Unboxing Logistics, host Lori Boyer sits down with Senior Product Manager Brittany Williams to unveil Forge, EasyPost’s newest product. Built for 3PLs, marketplaces, tech companies, and carriers, Forge offers a white-label shipping solution that makes it easy to onboard customers, manage subaccounts, and access detailed analytics—all without burdening your dev team. Whether you want to enable new carriers with a click or centralize billing, Forge simplifies complex operations with powerful admin tools and best-in-class APIs.

"Forge is EasyPost’s solution for businesses that want to white label our shipping technology into their own products and services . . . it’s about bringing more value to your customers and your team without time waste."

"I have two top contenders in terms of features. First is Forge's administrative tools around customer management . . . The second feature to call out is the analytics. I think EasyPost does a lot of things really well, but analytics is one of those things that we do truly better than anybody else."

"[Y]ou could begin creating customer records in hour one, minute one . . . if you're an existing customer, and you want to upgrade your dashboard to the Forge dashboard, there is no lift . . ."

• Connect with Brittany Williams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-williams-597289124/
• Learn more about Forge: www.easypost.com/forge