The Hague, 21 December 2020 – The number of parcels delivered by PostNL has increased to 1.7 million per day. The closure of non-essential stores has led to an increase in online purchases, over and above the high volumes of previous weeks. PostNL has now increased its capacity by 90% compared to the beginning of this year. Various measures are being taken to keep the flow of parcels manageable, so that delivery can continue effectively and safely at this maximum level during the lockdown. Consumers are therefore being asked to hold onto their return items until after the new year.
Liesbeth Kaashoek, Director of Parcels & Logistics at PostNL: “The number of parcels we’re now processing for our customers on a daily basis has almost doubled since the beginning of this year. In the sorting centres, every day the maximum number of parcels are currently being sorted and loaded in the delivery vans. The pressure on our network is very high. And our employees are doing their utmost every day to deliver our customers’ parcels to people’s homes. With additional journeys, people and trucks, as well as smart packaging solutions, we’ve managed to stretch our volumes to a level of 1.7 million parcels per day. That’s the new maximum that allows us to continue serving our customers during this latest lockdown. And it’s also the maximum that enables us to continue to guarantee the safety and health of our employees at all times.”
In order to continue to deliver the maximum number of parcels every day, PostNL asks for the cooperation of web shops, retailers and consumers. Kaashoek: “We’re asking consumers to hold onto their return items until 7 January, and we’re working closely with the web shops to make this possible. We’re also in discussions with them and with various retailers about opening additional pick-up points in various places across the country. We expect to be able to share further information on this shortly.”
PostNL limits the number of parcels that web shops can deliver, and that also applies to stores that deliver to PostNL pick-up points. Kaashoek: “For supermarkets and retailers selling essential goods, which are now very busy, this relieves pressure on the shop floor. The parcels need to wait a day, and we ask for our customers’ understanding here. Everything we do is aimed at streamlining the volume as much as possible, so that we can continue to deliver the maximum number of parcels per day.”