… it’s for a very simple reason, according to The Loadstar.
The torrent of parcel movement in the US has changed direction, as consumers return millions of goods ordered online in the run-up to the holidays.
John Haber, president & CEO of parcel logistics consultancy Spend Management, described it as a ‘returns tsunami’ – a reference to the “parcel tsunami” analysts had predicted for online orders shipped during the peak.
“Last week was the busiest week in returns in history,” he said.
However, Brian Bourke, chief growth officer of Seko Logistics, said: “I wouldn’t call it a tsunami, but volumes are significant.”
After a spike of 10.7% in returns on the first working day of 2021, home delivery specialist ParcelHero predicted that more than half of all parcel shipments, 51.7%, sent last week would be returned items, while UPS estimated it would handle 8.75m return parcels last week, 23% higher than the peak returns period of 2019.
There’s more at the link.
I’ve been doing a lot of online buying lately, and I’ve noticed that package delivery promises are not being met about half the time. It’s almost never the merchant’s fault, but delays in shipping (mostly unexplained, but all showing slower movement from vendor to customer than I’ve usually found). I hoped things would improve after the Christmas shopping rush was over, but that hasn’t been the case.
Oh, well. I’ll just have to allow more lead time in my ordering. Given ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in many states, forcing people to shop online rather than go to the store or the mall, I don’t see the situation improving anytime soon.
Peter
The stupid postal service keeps routing packages through New Jersey even when that is totally out of the way for where they are going. I buy and sell on ebay, and they have been doing this for several months. New Jersey is NOT on the way from Florida to Kansas. Or Kansas to Texas (or New Mexico, or Arizona). No wonder it takes twice as long as it should. I have to wonder why they seem to want parcels to nearly all go through New Jersey. What is going on there that needs to be questioned?
I received to Christmas cards on 1/11. On was mailed on 12/15 the other on 12/30. Both traveled about 800 miles.
I think the pony express was faster.
Gerry
Today is day 26 since I mailed my father-in-laws Christmas present 2 Day Priority. Expected delivery on the receipt said Dec. 21. Has been lost in a distribution center since Dec. 24th. I filed a missing mail complaint an hour ago.
I've had two consignments not turn up by the contractually agreed date – having paid for the specified delivery date. After the delivery agent claimed to have attempted delivery a couple of times ( a lie, we've been under lock-down, so at home 24/7 ). I told the vendor to refund the purchase price and arrange with their agent to recover the goods.
Yep, slow is the watchword right now. Contractors are STILL delivering for UPS/FedEx, which almost never happens after Christmas, much less this long into January.
Now just consider what happens to that supply chain when the shooting starts.
n