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NEWS | INSIGHTS | RESOURCES
NEWS | INSIGHTS | RESOURCES
With Thanksgiving behind us PCF looks forward to what is shaping up to be a historic holiday season. Black Friday and Cyber Monday both have come and passed with record consumer spending. Below is our forecast for the holiday season.
2020 has been a year of dramatic highs and lows, however Black Friday was a major turning point for retailers who have seen in-store traffic change dramatically during the pandemic. CNET reported, “Consumer spending on the internet surged 21.6% on the day after Thanksgiving, turning in the second-largest day for online spending in US history, behind last year’s Cyber Monday.” The massive influx of orders has put a huge strain on an already struggling infrastructure. As we predicted in our previous post the delays are getting worse and show no signs of slowing down through the Holiday season. With PCF having capacity available and the unique ability to continue onboarding clients, maintaining consistent rates has resulted in client savings that will continue through 2020-21.
Black Friday was just the tip of the iceberg regarding shipping delays. Per a United States Postal Service (USPS) spokesperson’s interview with Good Morning America, “the busiest time for the postal service begins about two weeks before Christmas. Beginning the week of Dec. 7, customer traffic is expected to increase, with the week of Dec. 14 – 21 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week.” With the landslide of Black Friday traffic projected to continue causing delays well into December, PCF is preparing to act as a safety valve for shippers in what is shaping up to be a perfect storm. Retailers currently using regionals have a clear-cut advantage moving forward into 2020-21 offering customers a level of flexibility they would not receive elsewhere.
To avoid these obstacles, here are some key dates to keep in mind via Good Morning America:
USPS
Dec. 15: This is the last day for retail ground shipping.
Dec. 18: This is the last day for first-class mail service (including greeting cards) and packages up to 15.99 ounces.
Dec. 19: This is the last day for Priority Mail service.
Dec. 23: This is the last day for Priority Mail Express service.
UPS
Dec. 15: This is the last day for UPS Ground service.
Dec. 21: This the last day for UPS 3 Day Select service.
Dec. 22: This is the last day for UPS 2nd Day Air service.
Dec. 23: This is the last day for UPS Next Day Air service.
FedEx
Dec. 15: This is the last day for FedEx Ground service.
Dec. 21: This is the last day for FedEx Express Saver and 3Day Freight services.
Dec. 22: This is the last day for FedEx 2Day A.M. and 2Day Freight services.
Dec. 23: This is the last day for FedEx 1Day Freight, Extra Hours, Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight and First Overnight services.
Dec. 25: This is the last day for FedEx SameDay, SameDay City Priority and SameDay City Direct services.
As we inch closer to these deadlines, the margin for error becomes increasingly slim. PCF and other regional carriers continue to provide a flexible approach that allows major retailers to cut costs while also keeping a high level of service. With PCF’s years of experience in the region and a familiarity with the market, we are striving to offer a superior level of service regardless of the obstacles 2020 has in store. Our ability to provide consistent next day delivery has proved invaluable to our clients and will look to be a gamechanger for major retailers in 2021.
– PCF Team
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