Retailers Are Running Lean This Holiday - Here's How to Not Run Out | Ask An Expert

Holiday retail is heating up... but this year looks dramatically different. With order counts steady but PO values down 25%, retailers are placing smaller, more frequent bets instead of locking in big inventory buys. Total holiday spend is expected to drop 5%, and gift spending is down 11%. So how do you execute when November and December throw inevitable curve balls?

In this episode of the Omni Talk Ask An Expert Series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga sit down with SPS Commerce's Brandon Pierre (VP of Customer Success) and Tony DiPaolo (VP Head of Retail, Sales & Customer Success) to break down the execution risks facing retailers and suppliers this holiday season... and share five actionable tactics you can deploy right now to protect your sales.

What You'll Learn:

• Why retailers are frontloading inventory but keeping orders leaner than ever

• The hidden costs of in-season reaction and supplier strain

• How to use supplier scorecarding as your radar for demand spikes

• Why OTIF (On-Time-In-Full) metrics matter more than ever this season

• Collaboration strategies that help retailers and suppliers react faster

• How to prepare for both hot demand and soft sales scenarios

Whether you're a retailer, supplier, or brand navigating Q4, this conversation is packed with data insights and practical tactics to help you execute through uncertainty.

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