London, December 4 — The peak of the e-commerce season has arrived stronger than ever. According to data from Sendcloud, Europe’s leading shipping platform, parcel volumes increased 211% across Europe, making Cyber Monday the busiest shipping day of 2025.
Last weekend once again delivered strong momentum for both retailers and carriers. Sendcloud internal data shows shipments during the Black Friday week increased by 32.8% compared to last year, while Cyber Monday, measured on the day itself, saw an uplift of 12.5% year-over-year.
Rising out-of-home demand puts pressure on next-day delivery
Sendcloud data also points to a shift in delivery choices during the shopping weekend: deliveries to service points increased by 17%, while parcel locker shipments rose by 25%, showing how out-of-home methods are becoming more prominent during peak season.
Although pick-up points and parcel lockers are generally considered a reliable delivery method, many of these locations reached capacity during the shopping weekend. As service points ran out of space and parcel lockers filled up, carriers often had to reroute parcels to alternative locations, which made it harder to complete next-day deliveries.
Next-day shipments to service points and parcel lockers fell by 42% compared to a normal day, showing that meeting next-day commitments for out-of-home locations has become more challenging as volumes rise.
Parcel volumes will continue to rise until mid-December
Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and Co-founder of Sendcloud, explains, “Even though the busiest day of the year is behind us, parcel volumes will remain well above normal levels throughout the first half of December. With pressure on both home delivery and out-of-home options, retailers should be upfront about delivery timelines and proactively communicate if certain methods may take longer.”
According to Sendcloud internal data, parcel volumes can reach up to 60% above a normal day, with peak days expected on December 8 and December 16.
About Sendcloud
Sendcloud is Europe’s leading shipping platform that empowers e-commerce merchants to scale their shipping operations effortlessly and deliver a customer-first experience.
Founded in 2012, Sendcloud was born from a genuine need to create a level playing field for all e-commerce merchants. Backed by Softbank and trusted by 30,000+ companies across Europe, Sendcloud has the vision to solve shipping globally.
