Parcel industry expects new peak due to rise of Chinese web shops

Parcel services are preparing for a new record number of deliveries at the end of the year. They expect the demand for products from Chinese webshops such as Alibaba, Temu, and Shein to lead to a lot of traffic this year.

Market leader PostNL will therefore deploy 1,500 extra delivery trips and 300 additional trucks every day from November 25. Staff will work longer and also on Sundays. Because Black Friday does not fall on November 29 this year, just six days before Sinterklaas, all hands will be on deck, according to a spokesperson. "We will deliver with a full complement of staff on the Sunday after Black Friday". PostNL saw orders from abroad increase by 29 percent in the last quarter, mainly due to the rise of Asian webshops.

Competitor DPD expects the rush to start even earlier. "It actually starts on 11 November with Singles Day," says a spokesperson. "That is becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands, especially among young women. Then come Black Friday, Cyber ​​Monday, Sinterklaas and of course Christmas." Due to the many returns that follow after the holidays, more people will have to be deployed at the beginning of the new year.

The rise of Chinese web shops has been going on for quite some time, says the DPD spokesperson. "In fact, the Chinese web shops are already fully integrated into the Dutch web shop network. Also via bol.com, dropshippers are selling more and more products from China".

DHL, which claims a 40 percent market share, says it is prepared for peak days with 2 million parcels, double the number from four years ago. "Given our market position, it will definitely be busier for us than last year."

DHL has its own delivery staff for the most part. They mainly work part-time but can be deployed more often during peak periods. If necessary, temporary workers and subcontractors will also help out. The company advises customers not to leave orders until the last minute. "Apart from the fact that Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday always take place around one weekend, this year the holidays such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, and New Year's Eve fall in the middle of the week. This means they are close to the weekend before, which is the favorite time for many buyers to order. It naturally relieves the pressure if many of the purchases are made a little earlier."