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How North American mail carriers are preparing for the holidays
Both major mail carriers in North America - Canada Post and the U.S. Postal Service - are heading into the holiday season with a sense of urgency. From late October through the end of December, retailers in the U.S. and Canada see an increasing number of orders and shorter time tables in terms of distribution.
As a result, both online merchants and distributors need to ensure they're making use of the most powerful tools, including address verification software, to maintain streamlined operations. E-commerce vendors in particular occupy a precarious position where shoppers want to take advantage of the convenience of ordering products from the comfort of their homes but don't want to face delivery delays. Accordingly, online vendors should turn their attention to every tool available to improve operations.
At the same time, the USPS and Canada Post are ramping up efforts to meet the anticipated demand.
Increasing consumer activity
The winter holidays present many organizations with challenges that require strategic adjustments to ensure everyone involved - consumers, business owners and packagers or mailing organizations - is satisfied with the end result. According to EcommerceBytes, the USPS anticipates this year's package volume will be 12 to 14 percent higher than last year's numbers. For context, there were 75,000 items delivered on December 25th last year.
In response to the growth in e-commerce activity, USPS Vice President of Sales Cliff Rucker explained the organization has invested in equipment upgrades to help with sorting. This means the USPS will be in a better position to work with e-commerce companies to deliver packages with greater efficiency. At the same time, customers should also benefit from expedited shipments. Rucker also said the holiday season is akin to a test of the USPS's reliability as a distributor and the strength of its networks.
Expanded delivery options
Canada Post is also doing its part to improve services during the upcoming holiday shopping season. Beginning on the first weekend in November, the organization began weekend delivery for parcels. Because Canada Post is responsible for delivering two-thirds of all packages ordered through e-commerce channels, it's had to adjust its operations to include more working hours to make sure service standards are maintained.
Without question, the holidays are a hectic time of year for everyone. Both online and brick-and-mortar merchants see increased shopper traffic and demand for quick service. Retailers can leverage mailing software to ensure accurate delivery, while distributors work to improve operations.
