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Published
Nov 11, 2020
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Black Friday e-surge to push retailer logistics to limit - report

Published
Nov 11, 2020

Expect retail delivery systems to be pushed “to the edge” during the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday digital shopping frenzy. A predicted 140% rise in related online deliveries this month will cause a major headache for shipping networks, warned Sendcloud.


Black Friday will place a huge strain on retailer logistics this year - Photo: Public domain



As shoppers remain indoors during the second English lockdown and with non-essential stores closed, online shopping is predicted to exceed the recorded amount of parcels delivered within the first ‘Corona Peak’ earlier in the year by more than 20%.

On average, Britain’s shoppers ordered 2.9 times more products during the first lockdown, which is set to further skyrocket as consumers get prepared for Christmas.

E-commerce shipping platform Sendcloud predicts this year’s peak shopping season to be the busiest period on record, on a combination of Covid-19 restrictions and Black Friday discounts, with the number of packages being ordered in Europe already 21% higher compared to this time last year.

Weekly growth in shipping volumes were "significantly increasing from the start of November onwards”, in the build-up to Singles’ Day on 11 November, with volumes expected to increase by around 76% at its peak as a result of Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts, it said.

The company suggested online retailers increase their logistic capacity by working with multiple shipping carriers and switching to alternative carriers if parcel networks become congested.

Some 37% of British consumers said they would not order from an online store again if the package arrived later than expected, and 67% experienced delays during the first UK Coronavirus peak. However, the pandemic has made consumers more patient with the average maximum amount of days they are willing to wait for standard delivery having increased to up to 6.7 days.

Rob van den Heuvel, CEO of Sendcloud, said: “We’re predicting demand and online sales around the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period will skyrocket as consumers gear up for Christmas and are unable to shop in high street stores.

“Such a peak has never been seen before, so both online retailers and consumers have to take into account that delivery times may take longer than expected. And, with the government calling for us to stay at home, it is important we act responsibly and help retailers, carriers and postal services to manage this peak.”

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