Ecommerce is booming right now – we think you got the memo! As people were forced off the high street and into their homes, they took to online shopping to satisfy their every desire. Our global network of carriers was already experiencing a 68% year-on-year rise in deliveries by April, according to our Home Delivery Volumes Index. That was the month after lockdowns were introduced across the world – fast forward to June and year-on-year growth had reached 75%.
We’ve put a lot of effort in thanking our doctors, nurses, pharmacists and grocery store clerks for their tireless efforts in carrying us through the pandemic, and rightly so. But what about our delivery professionals, who have risen up to the challenge of this unprecedented demand?
The role of carriers during the pandemic
Not only that, carriers have been there for us since the pandemic’s outset in their own special way. When we had to stay inside, they brought the world to our doorstep. They delivered the boardgames that kept us occupied; the bottom-half lounge wear for our Zoom calls; and the homewares and garden supplies we used liven up our personal space. In some cases they also facilitated direct to consumer orders when stockpiling affected the in-store availability of our favourite items.
Carriers play a hugely important role in our post-pandemic lives, and this will only increase as time goes by. Physical stores are reopening, but we’ve already outlined why we think ecommerce will be the indefinite ‘new normal‘ . And soon we will hit the traditional peak period between Black Friday and the holiday season.
Peak season is coming
In the UK, delivery volumes already exceeded 2019 peak levels through April-May, by an additional 24 per cent no less[1]! At this rate, 2020 peak season is shaping up to be a peak like no other. And carriers are bracing themselves to meet the demand that is set to come with it. That’s why DPD recently created 6,000 jobs and opened several new depots, and why Evri doubled the lockers available to its customers. The challenges for carriers are only just beginning.
Our campaign to show carriers love
We think it’s time to show our carriers some love, which is the focus of a campaign we’ve recently launched on social media. Using the hashtags #CarryingUsThrough and #ThankYouCarriers, we’re highlighting the efforts of the carriers we rely on to help our customers continue delivering to our own. Please join us in thanking carriers, for every single parcel delivered.
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[1] Raconteur ‘Future of Ecommerce’ report, ‘Retail beyond the buy button: prioritising the post-purchase experience’ (as featured in The Times) [/whitepapers/raconteur-report/]