Largest delay of 29 per cent measured on 22 December
Dutch parcel carriers deliver virtually all Christmas orders on time despite peak pressure
The Christmas period and with it the peak pressure for carriers are behind us. During the final days of the peak period, delivery of most parcels went smoothly: 99 per cent of orders placed before 22 December arrived on time for Christmas. Of orders placed on 22 December, 98 per cent were delivered on time, and even of orders placed on 23 December, 93.9 per cent still arrived before Christmas. This is according to the Pakketradar, a data analysis by Wuunder.
That so many parcels arrived without delays is, given the high number of orders during the peak period from 15 to 23 December, an impressive achievement. The number of orders was 39.8 per cent higher than during the rest of the year. On 15 December there was a clear peak: the number of orders was 92.8 per cent higher than average. Subsequently, the number of orders gradually decreased until 21 December. In the days just before Christmas there was another peak: on 22 December the number of orders was 51 per cent higher than average and on 23 December even 17.6 per cent above average. During the Christmas period the number of orders logically fell sharply, with an average of 34.8 per cent fewer orders than normal.
Despite most parcels arriving on time, there were delays during this peak period. Particularly for parcels collected on Monday 22 December, the highest number of delays were measured, averaging 29 per cent. This was clearly above the weekly average of 22 per cent. The largest average delays were measured in the provinces of Flevoland (27.3%) and Zeeland (27.1%). In Drenthe and Groningen, by contrast, the fewest delayed parcels were registered, averaging 14.4 per cent and 15.3 per cent delay respectively.
Jeroen Gehlen, founder of Wuunder: "Over the years we see that more and more consumers make their purchases online, particularly during busy periods such as around the holidays. This increase creates extra pressure on carriers and retailers, who do everything they can to get parcels packed and delivered on time. In the week before Christmas the number of orders was almost forty per cent higher than average, with peaks of over ninety per cent. Despite this pressure, delivery quality is currently higher than during earlier peak periods. An important explanation for this is that the additional hired drivers are now better prepared and trained. Many of them have already experienced several busy weeks with the same carrier, making them familiar with processes and working methods. This combination of good preparation and practical experience contributes to more efficient handling and ultimately ensures fewer delays in delivery."
The data is based on orders at Wuunder and concerns domestic shipments in the Netherlands. The data is not based on returns and only concerns B2C shipments.