Deutsche Post DHL sees German parcel volumes rising 15% to 1.8 billion this year due to corona

Deutsche Post DHL expects a new record in German parcel volumes this year, with an increase of almost 15% to around 1.8 billion parcels, boosted by the boom in online orders as a result of the corona pandemic.

In order to cope with the forthcoming Christmas rush, 10,000 new employees are to be hired until the end of the year.

Moreover, in order to safely cope with the rising parcel volumes during the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the German market leader aims to deliver parcels in the evenings as well during this year’s peak season.

“We work in several shifts throughout the day so that our delivery staff will ring at customers’ doors more often in the evening in the coming weeks,” Tobias Meyer, head of Post and Parcel Germany division, told the newspapers of the Funke media group in an interview. Smaller parcels will also be delivered by postmen.

The pre-Christmas period will therefore be particularly busy. “From the end of November until Christmas, we expect three to four very strong weeks with around 11 million shipments on peak days, compared to an average of 5.2 million shipments per day,” Meyer said. “Deutsche Post will then transport around 50 to 55 million parcels per week and thus operate under full load.” In contrast, the number of letters is expected to decrease by around 10%.

Meyer does not rule out possible restrictions for customers during the Christmas season. "This heavy traffic will certainly be particularly challenging for us because of the restrictions and protective measures due to the corona virus."

To ensure that their parcels arrive on time for Christmas Eve, customers should drop them off for shipping by December 19, Meyer stressed. December 22 is the last closing date for letters and postcards.