Eindhoven, November 30, 2023 - The busiest day of the year in e-commerce, Cyber Monday, has come and gone. But the chaos isn't over yet: where usually more than two-thirds of parcels are delivered the next day, that dropped to just 53% last week. That's according to an analysis of shipping data from Sendcloud. To get an order home faster, consumers can, for example, switch to delivery at a parcel point.
Parcel volume triples on Cyber Monday
This year's Black Friday weekend once again brought peak pressure for parcel carriers. On Black Friday itself, twice as many parcels were shipped (+105.6%). Cyber Monday, the Monday after Black Friday, was traditionally the busiest shipping day of the year, with 195.8% more parcels than the daily average. An estimated 3,883,199 parcels were shipped across the Netherlands that day.
“As usual, following Black Friday, it was a busy weekend, but the peak isn't behind us yet. While parcel volumes will stay high through Christmas, we're seeing delivery times slowly climb. Delays aren't out of the question. Beyond our usual advice to order early, we're also advising consumers to look at alternative shipping options, like delivery to a parcel point. By relying more on parcel points, we ease the pressure on the parcel network and help make sure everyone gets their Sinterklaas and Christmas gifts on time,” says Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and co-founder at Sendcloud.
Monday, the busiest day
Cyber Monday isn't the only busy Monday. Last year, the top 5 busiest days all fell within the final six weeks of the year. Orders placed over the weekend ship on Monday and are usually delivered on Tuesday or Wednesday. Sendcloud expects another parcel peak on December 4, 11, and 18. While the single busiest day is now behind us, the busiest week is still ahead: in week 50, the shipping platform is bracing for a final sprint before Christmas.
Parcel points, the answer to timely delivery for Sinterklaas
With Sinterklaas approaching and the whole of December still ahead, consumers are advised to order early or switch to delivery at a parcel point. Data shows parcel points really are faster: where a home-delivered order currently takes an average of 1.61 days, shipping to a parcel point takes around 1.49 days. “Sinterklaas can use all the help he can get to make sure gifts arrive on time. Delivery to a parcel point is more environmentally friendly and efficient, and it's also faster for the consumer, who gets their parcel sooner. That's likely why we're seeing the popularity of parcel point delivery among consumers rise by 35%,” says Rob.
About Sendcloud
Founded in 2012, Sendcloud is the end-to-end shipping platform for e-commerce businesses. Backed by SoftBank and trusted by 25,000 companies across Europe, Sendcloud is on a mission to solve shipping globally. The platform enables retailers, marketplaces, and fulfillment companies to scale their shipping operations and deliver exceptional shipping experiences.
Author and researcher
As former PR Manager at Sendcloud, Iris Delmee focused on e-commerce logistics trends and changing consumer expectations. She shared data-driven insights to help online retailers improve their shipping strategy and customer experience.
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