For Couriers, It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

If you’re making a living as a courier driver, you probably know that the Christmas rush begins well before December. Independent parcel carrier Yodel has reported that nearly one third of UK consumers begin to purchase their Christmas gifts in September.

Shopping Starts Early

Out of 3,165 people surveyed in early September this year, 29% said they had already started shopping for the biggest event of the year. In fact, overall, September was the most popular time to begin shopping, with 18% indicating they would start in October, 25% in November, and 23% would wait until December.

Online Trends

According to survey figures, a whopping three-quarters of people plan to buy at least half of their presents online, with only 3% saying they would buy everything in-store. The trend towards online shopping, particularly at Christmas time, means big spikes in parcel deliveries for the average courier driver, and, in addition, pre-Christmas promotions (especially Black Friday and Cyber Monday) prompt shoppers to buy big and buy early.

A Healthy Spending Habit

Christmas spending has been rising steadily in Britain, with last year’s average holiday spending totalling £655 per person. This year, about three-quarters of Britons surveyed by tech company Rubicon Project say they will spend a similar amount of money or more on Christmas presents. The survey also showed that more than half – 64% – prefer to buy several smaller presents rather than one big, expensive one. This trend contributes to more parcel deliveries for the entrepreneurial courier driver and also means more returns, come January!

Smart Operators Take Advantage

Delivery operations that understand the changing patterns of Christmas consumerism will be able to stay on top of the mounting madness at this time of the year. Christmas 2014 saw many firms, including Yodel, struggling to cope with huge demand for their delivery services, leading to many disappointed customers. This year, Yodel is hoping that the latest market research will help them prepare and avoid last year’s disaster.

Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, commented about the survey’s findings, "It’s good to see that so many people have already started their shopping, and we are well prepared to handle the huge numbers of orders that are still to be bought."

The Big Guys Prepare

Many large retailers and delivery companies will hire or subcontract thousands of temporary employees for the Christmas season. Royal Mail, for example, expects to recruit around 19,000 workers across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to help deliver the Christmas mail. Its express parcels business, Parcelforce Worldwide, will recruit about 2,600 people, including drivers.

These new jobs will run from mid-November until early January, but with Christmas shopping pushing back earlier and earlier into autumn, firms may be looking at hiring temporary workers earlier in the year and for longer periods. In other words, if you’re a self-employed courier driver looking for work, that time of the year becomes an excellent time to search for opportunities.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier driver jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading courier jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.