DHL Sees Holiday Season Returning to Historical Norms
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DHL Express U.S. is reporting that the holiday shipping season has aligned more with historical patterns, even as uncertainty remains.
The DHL 2024 Peak Season Shipping Survey revealed Nov. 19 that 48% of small and medium-sized enterprises expect a year-over-year increase in holiday sales. That includes 14% that anticipate significant growth and 34% that expect light growth. The survey found 44% expect sales to remain flat, while 8% foresee a decline.
“Holiday shipping trends this year are shaping up to align with historical patterns, where we typically see about 40% growth compared to the rest of the year,” DHL Express CEO Greg Hewitt told Transport Topics. “However, it’s worth noting that fluctuating consumer demand remains a variable, particularly as inflation and supply chain concerns weigh heavily on small and medium-sized enterprises.”
DHL also found in its survey that the top concerns were supply chain issues at 36% and fluctuating consumer demand at 34%. It noted that 45% of respondents began holiday planning in Q2 or earlier, up from 39% last year.
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“Despite these uncertainties, we anticipate some of the usual upticks in consumer activity and B2C volumes as we progress through the season,” Hewitt said. “Regardless of how consumer behavior evolves, DHL is well-prepared. Our ownership of our network provides us with the agility and flexibility to adjust capacity in real time to meet shifting demands.”
DHL scheduled additional trucking rotations and expanded pickup and delivery courier fleets to prepare for peak volumes. The company hired roughly 200 courier employees nationwide to handle the increased demand while maintaining service standards.
Final comparisons between this peak season and previous ones won’t be possible until after the season ends, Hewitt noted, but early indicators are strong. “On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we saw volumes up to 60% higher compared to regular operating days during the rest of the year,” he said. “This is more than we had anticipated, as we initially expected volumes to go up 40%.”
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