PARCEL: Not just a seasonal peak – a lasting surge
COVID-19 has altered the supply chain landscape, with US e-commerce spending in April rising 49% compared to a baseline period in early March before shelter-in-place restrictions went into effect.
Yet even in unique circumstances, delivery networks must still prepare for the holiday peak season. Just last year, package volume exceeded delivery network capacity, leaving major carriers scrambling to deliver late-arriving gifts and deal with a barrage of negative customer feedback. Now holiday peak season is coming once again, and parcel distribution centers are dusting off old playbooks to source labor and equipment to meet demand. But what if the answer to peak preparation is not a temporary solution, but a more permanent shift in approach?