Even before the busiest shopping season of the year kicked off, I had already encountered a couple of peak-season missteps from online retailers. After an order I placed on Halloween and expected to receive within five days went missing, the vendor was unable to give me an updated arrival date — right up until the parcel magically arrived on my doorstep three weeks later. Then, a coffee grinder that was shipped to my house in its original retail packaging was unfortunately not sturdy enough for transit and arrived battered and partially open.  

Like most Americans, I’ll be doing much of my holiday shopping online this year. And I do mean most Americans: According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 55 percent of holiday shoppers will purchase gifts online this year.

One of the funnier (and more truthful) bumper stickers I’ve seen lately has been on the backs of tractor trailers traveling the highways. It reads: Don’t like trucks? Stop buying stuff. Problem solved.

This consumer joke hits home to those of us who spend a lot of time in fulfillment centers, especially during holiday peak season, which heats up mid-November and lasts through early January. As more purchases are made online, there’s more trouble brewing inside fulfillment centers that still aren’t prepared for the onslaught of e-commerce holiday orders each year.

Globally, consumers are turning to snacks more frequently to replace meals. Meanwhile, health concerns and increasingly fast-paced lifestyles are driving demand for healthier snacking options like fruits and vegetables.