DHL Express foresees historic peak season

0
759
  • Globalization and digitalization are driving online shopping and worldwide shipping to new heights while Covid-19 accelerates e-commerce boom
  • The company’s global network expects more than 50% increase in volumes during 2020 peak season compared to 2019
  • DHL is hiring more than 10,000 additional hires to manage the record peak season volumes
  • DHL has ordered four new wide-body aircraft and two more units are arriving next month so the company can carry out more than 3,000 additional intercontinental flights per year

DHL Express expects unprecedented online shopping and shipping volumes during the upcoming peak season, especially during mega shopping days such as “Black Friday” and “Singles Day,” the volume growth driven by globalization and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The express service provider is expecting an all-time high in e-commerce trade around the globe. Even as it has seen around 35% e-commerce shipment volume growth in 2020, the peak season will further accelerate this and result in more than 50% higher global shipment quantities compared to last year’s peak season.

In Asia-Pacific, this year’s peak season shipment volumes are expected to be 30% to 40% larger than last year.

“Over the years, we have seen consumers and even businesses shift their purchases online, but the pandemic has truly pushed the trend to leapfrog a few years ahead,” said Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia-Pacific.

To be prepared for the unprecedented peak of shipments, the company has hired more than 10,000 new employees globally to manage the upcoming volumes.

It also invests about EUR1 billion annually to improve its infrastructure, network and people “so that we are prepared for these kinds of situations and to ensure that global trade continues even in the most challenging periods,” said Sean Wall, executive vice president of  network operations & aviation, DHL Express Asia -Pacific.

And since most commercial passenger aircraft are still on the ground, the company has increased the number of its daily flights significantly to manage the demands of e-commerce shipping and also of highly important personal protective equipment and medical goods.

This year alone, the company has already commissioned four new wide-body aircraft in its operations, and two more units are expected in the next month. These six additional aircraft will enable the company to carry out more than 3,000 additional intercontinental flights per year.

 Photo courtesy of DHL