The parcel services expect an even larger shipment volume in the Corona year than ever before.
If you want your Christmas present to arrive on time, you need to plan.
Berlin - First the good news: Christmas will take place.
The corona pandemic will not change that.
However, this year the festival will perhaps be celebrated on a smaller scale than usual. After all, the risk of infection is currently always high when many people come together in closed rooms *.
That means: Instead of handing gifts to loved ones personally, this year there will probably be even more parcels on the road than usual. "
We expect eleven million parcels a day before Christmas,
" says Hans-Christian Mennenga from the Deutsche Post DHL Group.
Indeed, that would be more programs than ever before.
“We are driving at full load,” Mennenga describes the situation.
Competitors also expect the number of broadcasts to rise to a record level this year before Christmas.
The Federal Association of Parcel and Express Logistics (BIEK), which represents the parcel services DPD, GLS, GO !, Hermes and UPS, is
expecting corona-related growth in parcel shipments to double
in November and December compared to 2019
.
Hermes alone is assuming a total of around 120 million shipments between October and December - around 20 percent more than in the previous year.
DHL, Hermes, DPD & Co: Parcel companies have prepared for Christmas
The companies have adjusted to this situation according to their own account:
The corona-related excess quantities were
taken into account, additional vehicles were purchased and more workers were planned, the capacities in the logistics centers increased and processes optimized
.
This is to ensure punctual delivery.
But nobody wants to say with certainty whether this will actually work in practice.
But it is also clear: Consumers can help ensure that everything runs smoothly.
“Customers can help shape that,” says Mennenga.
“You don't always have to use the large branch, you can also go to a small parcel shop.” The rush there is often less.
The packing stations are also available for receiving and sending shipments.
The BIEK explains that anyone who receives a parcel can also help the parcel service.
"By redirecting their shipments to parcel shops, parcel stations and neighbors present, or by granting a deposit permit for their desired location, the first delivery rate and thus the logistical efficiency can be further increased", explains a spokesman.
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Sending Christmas presents: better earlier this year
If you want your Christmas present to arrive on time for the festival, you should
send it a
little earlier this time
.
The standard delivery time of one to two working days for standard shipments cannot always be adhered to before Christmas due to traffic and weather conditions, explains the BIEK.
The
closing times for posting at DHL
have been brought forward a little this year:
December 19, 12 noon is the last date
for
domestic parcels and parcels
in all branches and packing stations
throughout Germany;
December 22 is the
last date
for letters and postcards.
Parcels and parcels to neighboring countries
should be
handed in by
December 14th
: For shipments to
other European countries
the deadline is
December 10th
.
Outside Europe, shipments should be submitted by November 30th.
Letters and postcards should be handed in between December 7th (outside Europe) and December 22nd (Germany) at the latest.
Private parcels should be delivered to Hermes by December 21st so that they can be delivered by the festival.
The deadline for international shipments is December 15th.
DPD accepts Christmas parcels until December 22nd so that they arrive in time for Christmas Eve.
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Send parcel for Christmas: hand in international shipments even earlier
The industry association BIEK also recommends that
parcels without the
express option be posted by December 21 at the latest
.
"However, individual companies will also deliver national shipments accepted later by December 24, 2020," it says.
If the sender
uses
express services
, he can still send some of the parcel on December 23rd.
To be on the safe side, according to the association, it is advisable to send the parcels by mid-December.
International shipments should ideally be sent by mid-December, the delivery time varies depending on the destination country and
parcel service provider.
Shipments to nearby countries can sometimes be posted later, and parcels to destinations further away should be posted earlier.
Christmas gifts by post: Please no bows around the package
One piece of advice at the end: If you want your parcel to arrive safely, you should
pack
it
as straightforwardly as possible
.
"Ribbons and decorations can get stuck on the conveyor belts in the distribution centers," says DHL spokesman Mennenga.
DHL advises
that the box should be big enough to
provide enough space for upholstery
.
However, it should again be as small as possible so that the goods to be shipped do not have too much play and there are no cavities where the box could be pressed in.
Wide package tape ensures that nothing opens during transport.
If you want to reuse boxes in good condition, you should remove old barcode stickers or make them unrecognizable, advises Hermes.
Otherwise the parcel can be returned inadvertently or be left in the parcel center.
(dpa) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen digital editorial network.
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