Yodel clears delivery backlog

Yodel says it has now cleared a backlog of parcels at its central sorting facilities caused by an unexpected 26 per cent spike in parcel volumes in the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Scheduled collections, which had been deferred, have resumed. However, Yodel warned that new parcels entering the network may be still be subject to a 24-48 hour delay, which it says is reflective of normal Christmas peak operations.

The firm revealed last week that deliveries could be delayed by as much as 72 hours and that it would be deferring collections from retailers for 48 hours to clear the backlog.

Delays caused by the backlog made press headlines, with The Daily Mail stating: “Yodel latest courier firm to be hit by Christmas delays”, while the headline in the Financial Times was: “Parcels surge hits Christmas deliveries” (see coverage here).

A statement released by the firm said: “We will be closely monitoring this situation to ensure that all parcels are out for delivery before Christmas. Customers can follow the progress of their parcels by visiting the tracking page on MyYodel.co.uk.”

* A Barclays’ report suggests click and collect orders are expected to rise by 49 per cent this Christmas. Richard Lowe, head of retail & wholesale at Barclays, said that with ten per cent of online consumers having fallen foul to late deliveries it was clear to understand the growing use of click and collect.

And growth in the service is set to continue for several years, with the reporting indicating use of click and collect could triple by 2018, compared with home deliveries.

Retailer focus on click and collect has grown in recent years, with 41 per cent of those surveyed stating that they would struggle with online order demand without the service, and 43 per cent investing in the service. Seventy one per cent of retailers described click and collect as vital to their business.

The anticipated spike in click and collect usage follows an 18 per cent surge in retailer confidence for the Christmas trading period. Seventy per cent of retailers are optimistic about the trading period, compared to 52 per cent in 2013.

Last year, 5.7m consumers used click and collect during the Christmas trading period. More than 80 per cent of retailers surveyed believe click and collect is now a permanent feature, with 38 per cent expecting usage to grow faster than any other delivery option in the next four years.

Growth in click and collect will coincide with a decline in home delivery, with the latter set to decline from 72 per cent to 64 per cent in the next four years, as click and collect grows from 26 per cent to 35 per cent.

“Amazon has also recently partnered with Royal Mail, allowing shoppers to collect their parcels from their local Post Office, and I believe we will increasingly see this kind of tie-up,” said Lowe. “These developments can only be good news for consumers, offering them increasing levels of choice and the confidence that their gifts will make it under the Christmas tree in time.”

The UK is currently the most active in terms of click and collect services, compared to France, Germany and the US.

Source: logisticsmanager.com
Portal: logistik-express.com