I’m Jay Kent, managing director of SLB Performance, a consulting firm that helps companies reduce supply chain costs, implement BI tools, and improve in-stock and customer service. After 25 years of leading some of the most complex supply chains in the industry, I began advising companies in multiple industries and verticals. It’s important to understand the market to mitigate costs and improve efficiencies. So, twice a month, I’ll share parcel news and thoughts. Be sure to hit the subscribe button to receive the latest newsletter in your LinkedIn notifications.
- Shoppers spent a record $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, over 10% more than they did last Black Friday, according to data from Adobe Analytics. Meanwhile, Friday’s in-store shopper traffic was down 8.2% compared to 2023, according to Sensormatic Solutions, which tracks retail store foot traffic.
- According to data from logistics consultancy ShipMatrix, carriers are prepared to handle 120 million parcels per day during the peak holiday season, while demand is estimated to be just 106 million packages per day.
Retailers
- Dollar General is piloting same-day delivery from approximately 75 stores. Dollar General already has a relationship with DoorDash but the new same-day pilot will be from a different undisclosed third-party delivery company.
Canada Post Strike Continues
Update: The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19% over four years.
- Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies in order to catch up from the Canada Post strike, which continues. Middlemen such as eShipper are among the outfits temporarily barred from sending packages through UPS and the Canada Post-owned Purolator.
FedEx
- FedEx to lay off 341 workers in Raleigh and Durham as it cuts and closes shipping centers. Of the 341 layoffs, more than 250 are couriers.
- FedEx plans to reduce staff at one of its Jonesboro, Arkansas facilities after evaluating its network and making “adjustments to align with the evolving needs of the business.”
- Since FedEx stopped carrying the U.S. Mail in late September, there have been about 60 fewer planes landing at the Memphis airport a day. In October alone, about 96 million fewer pounds of cargo were handled at Memphis International Airport, down nearly 14% from last year, according to airport data.
UPS
- Fire damages UPS facility in Athens, Tennessee. No pickups or deliveries were made last Wednesday. Click on article for affected zip codes. More here.
Holiday Deadlines
- Holiday shipping deadlines: USPS, FedEx, UPS dates for on-time delivery
That’s it for now. For more, be sure to sign up for our twice a week email newsletter. Reach out if you’d like to learn how to lower or even possibly eliminate any parcel fees.
Stay tuned for the next newsletter on Thursday Dec. 26. Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to ensure you receive it in your LinkedIn notices. In addition, if you like what you’re reading, sign up to receive additional insights and analysis via emails twice a month – DM me for more info.
-Jay