IMRG Christmas Delivery Review 2010

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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The IMRG have just published the IMRG Christmas Delivery Review 2010*, which says “Even with the extreme challenges brought by the weather, overall the e-retail sector still performed above expectation and, despite some suggestions to the contrary, the vast majority of orders dispatched before Christmas arrived in time for the big day”.

The highlight is that “Despite the worst pre-Christmas weather in 100 years we estimate that of the 60 million orders dispatched during December, the number not delivered, or where no delivery attempt had been made before Christmas Day, was as low as 275,000.” That’s pretty encouraging news and doesn’t uphold what appears the popular view that carriers failed to delivery huge quantities of orders.

More disheartening is that that “perhaps 4.9 million orders (5.24 million packages and parcels) that may otherwise have been dispatched before Christmas, did not go out due to weather related supply chain issues or because shoppers returned to the High Street for the for the last few days before Christmas”. This is a lot of lost business of online retailers.

The report goes on to examine delivery volumes for some of the main carriers including: Royal Mail, Hermes, Docdata, Yodel (HDNL and DHL Domestic), Parcelforce, iForce, ByBox and Collect+. They also look at delivery performance and although normal on-time delivery attempts are 95.1% in December this fell to 88.9%. However less than 1% of deliveries were undelivered or not attempted prior to Christmas.

The report also looks at where couriers could perform better and particularly notes that the most useful were those, like Hermes, which provided a postcode breakdown of the areas affected. Keeping retailers informed of delivery bottlenecks is seen as critical so that they can keep customers informed. Suspending sales to certain parts of the country enables retailers to continue shipping to those area where there were no or minimal delays due to snow.

Best practises for retailers in the future includes having the ability to switch dynamically between carriers and selecting couriers based on delivery capability will give orders the best chance of delivery. Bringing forward the last dispatch day and last order day are essential if deliveries can’t be guaranteed. Providing alternative delivery points using couriers such as Collect+, who can deliver to local shops or garages, and carriers such as Royal Mail who allow local collections from Post Offices, can assist in getting parcels to areas where deliveries simply aren’t possible.

Finally the report highlights that many carriers and their employees went out of their way to make sure parcels were delivered. These include:

* The Royal Mail postal worker in Brecon who went out on his own tractor to deliver parcels.
* Hermes reporting that it was being used by other carriers to undertake the final delivery because its local couriers could get to places that others could not.
* Other solutions allowing customers to get their Christmas orders right up to the last minute.
* Collect+ reported that it handed over its final pre-Christmas parcel at 21:30 on Christmas Eve.
* ByBox provided a delivery and collection service on Christmas and Boxing Day, with record of some consumers opting to collect goods on Christmas morning!
* Parcelforce asked all employees with 4×4 vehicles to help with deliveries in areas where vans could not enter

[POSTMAN]

Hmmm wonder when those couriers took their xmas smilies off?

[fishtank]

* Parcelforce asked all employees with 4×4 vehicles to help with deliveries in areas where vans could not enter

That true?

[POSTMAN]

* Parcelforce asked all employees with 4×4 vehicles to help with deliveries in areas where vans could not enter

That true?

It has been reported on here before in a news story,whether it's true or not is a different thing.
Also would ya?

[fishtank]

* Parcelforce asked all employees with 4×4 vehicles to help with deliveries in areas where vans could not enter

That true?

It has been reported on here before in a news story,whether it's true or not is a different thing.
Also would ya?

Sure...
Can't drive a 4X4 anyway,too many bits and bobs and knobs and levers.
Leave the multi-tasking to the ladies.

[ass asin]

ft who says men cant multi task

cig, beer, remote control and footie on the tele

case proven lol

[Lincox]

Hope that guy in Brecon is filling his tax retuns in right. Postman and a Farmer (wonder which pays the best) Probably got one of those Pig Farms where you are paid by the government not to have any Pigs, so got plenty of time to do the post round.