Parcel delivery service CouriersPlease is forecasting a second parcel boom before Christmas.
The e-commerce boom of 2020 has continued well into 2021 and this year, between the months of March and May, CouriersPlease experienced an 80 per cent spike in parcel volumes compared with the previous year.
October to December is the peak period for the logistics industry, given the popularity of major shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as well as Christmas shopping.
CouriersPlease reports its parcel volumes grew to more than 4.6 million in the final quarter of 2019, an increase of just 1 per cent (52,000 parcels) on the 2019 September quarter. However, during the 2020 December quarter, CouriersPlease handled more than 8 million parcels, amounting to a significant 71 per cent growth on the 2019 December quarter.
This year CouriersPlease says it is well on its way to surpassing its 2020 December quarter volumes, already delivering more than 5.6 million parcels in just eight weeks.
As a result, the company expects a further 30 per cent growth in the December quarter compared with the same period last year.
This is about 2.4 million more parcels than the company delivered during the last December quarter, and 122 per cent (5.7 million parcels) more than the 2019 December quarter.
“We’ve continued to experience a surge in parcel volumes and the current lockdowns have seen volumes soar to the levels we see during peak periods,” said Phil Reid, CouriersPlease Chief Operations Officer.
“Since last year’s boom, we expanded the business rapidly, doubling our franchisee network and hiring hundreds more delivery drivers. However, volumes continue to soar to record levels, and a second parcel boom this November and December is inevitable. We are preparing for a more than 30 per cent increase in volumes during this period and have already started recruiting more warehouse staff and delivery drivers where possible.”
Reid said it is important for shoppers to understand that couriers across the country are delivering more parcels than ever before, particularly as lockdowns continue in Australia’s two largest cities.
“While it is a challenge for the industry to keep up and deliver within timeframes, we do know how frustrating it can be for those waiting to receive essential and urgent items,” he said.
“Preparing for potential delays remains important and shoppers should pay particular attention to notifications from couriers, who are updating delivery timeframes and communicating delays to the best of their ability.”