Black Friday and Singles’ Day online shopping sprees will drive up global shipping volumes by 50 per cent as Covid-19 boosts e-commerce, says DHL
- International and Chinese express delivery companies can expect a 50 per cent jump in shipping volumes next month as the mega shopping events park a surge in online orders, the parcel delivery giant predicts
- With the increasing volumes coming as Covid-19 continues to spread, logistics providers face the challenge of keeping employees safe when dealing with the shipments
The courier service giant said in a statement on Wednesday that the Covid-19 pandemic had bolstered e-commerce trade, ushering in stronger demand for shipping.
“Over the years, we have seen consumers and even businesses shift their purchases online, but the pandemic has truly pushed the trend to leapfrog a few years ahead,” said Ken Lee, chief executive of DHL Express Asia-Pacific.
He added that the upcoming peak season in November with the Black Friday and Singles’ Day shopping bonanzas would present challenging to the logistics industry.
DHL Express has invested €1 billion (US$1.17 billion) this year to improve its infrastructure, network and people.
The company, part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, did not provide absolute figures for the previous or estimated shipping volumes.
Sean Wall, an executive president at DHL Express Asia-Pacific, said in the statement that shipment volumes in the region November would be 30 to 40 per cent higher than last year.