Online sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday are expected to increase package deliveries by 141 per cent this month as shoppers remain indoors during the second UK lockdown.
With lockdown measures resulting in non-essential shop doors being firmly closed, the online shopping period is predicted to exceed the recorded amount of parcels delivered within the first ‘Corona Peak’ earlier in the year by more than 20 per cent..
High street retailers have been encouraged to continue Black Friday discounts well into December as lockdown measures end to help spread out demand and overcome shipping challenges.
On average British shoppers ordered around three products more during the first lockdown, something which is set to skyrocket as consumers get prepared for Christmas this year with the number of packages being ordered in Europe already 21 per cent higher compared to this time last year.
Based on historical parcel data Sendcloud, an eCommerce shipping platform, predicts this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period to be the busiest on record, as a combination of COVID-19 restrictions and early online discounts.
Weekly growth in shipping volumes significantly increased from the start of November and are expected to increase by around 76 per cent (compared to a normal week) at its peak as a result of Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts.
37 per cent of British consumers said they would not order from an online store again if the package arrived later than expected, while more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of UK consumers experienced delays during the first UK Coronavirus peak. However, the pandemic has made consumers more patient with the average maximum amount of days they are willing to wait for standard delivery has increased to up to 6.7 days.
The company also highlighted that more than half of consumers (54 per cent) will return bought items when they’re not satisfied with them, and that the busy Christmas period will likely see that number increase.
Speaking on the results, Rob van den Heuvel, CEO, Sendcloud, said: “We’re predicting demand and online sales around the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period will skyrocket as consumers gear up for Christmas and are unable to shop in highstreet stores. Online retailers need to prepare themselves for this busy period, and we’re advising they work with multiple carriers so that they’re able to switch to alternative shipping networks if supply chains become congested.
“Such a peak has never been seen before, so both online retailers and consumers have to take into account that delivery times may take longer than expected. And, with the government calling for us to stay at home, it is important we act responsibly and help retailers, carriers and postal services to manage this peak.”
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