PostNL explores ways to spread peak parcel volumes more evenly
Nov 13, 2026 | E-Commerce, Parcel, Post | 0
Singles’ Day marks the start of the busiest period of the year for online shopping and deliveries. Black Friday, Sinterklaas and Christmas will follow in quick succession over the coming weeks. On peak days, PostNL expects to process an average of around 1.7 million parcels a day, compared with an average of 1.2 million on a normal delivery day. To deliver all parcels and mail during this period, PostNL is deploying additional staff, lorries and delivery rounds. PostNL is also working with online retailers to spread parcel volumes more evenly, while giving consumers greater choice over when and where they receive their orders.
Extra capacity and delivery days
PostNL is significantly scaling up its operations during the busiest period. Our lorries will make around 1,250 journeys a day, compared with approximately 950 on a normal day. The number of delivery rounds will increase from an average of 4,500 to around 6,300 a day.Sunday 29 November will be an additional delivery day for parcels, helping as many Sinterklaas gifts and Black Friday orders as possible arrive on time. For mail, Monday 21 December will be an additional delivery day. Office-based employees will also help with sorting and deliveries during the festive season. This means the entire company will be contributing to the biggest delivery operation of the year.
More choice helps spread volumes
The festive season peak also requires close cooperation across the entire delivery chain. PostNL therefore coordinates promotions and expected parcel volumes with major online retailers. The choices consumers make when placing their orders can also help spread demand more evenly.Not every order requires the same type of delivery. A Sinterklaas gift may need to arrive quickly, while a Black Friday purchase may be able to wait until a day when the recipient is at home. And a gift that is meant to remain a surprise can, for example, be delivered to a PostNL point or parcel locker.Previous research involving different delivery days showed that consumers do make use of this flexibility, with 10 to 20 per cent voluntarily choosing a later delivery date. In addition, more than 3.5 million of PostNL’s 10 million users have set their delivery preferences in their PostNL account. PostNL advises consumers to order in good time and to choose a delivery time and location that suit their order. The same advice applies to Christmas mail: send it in good time.
“We are well prepared for the busiest weeks of the year. We are not only looking at additional capacity, but also at how we can spread peak volumes more evenly. By working closely with online retailers and giving consumers more choice, we can manage the busiest period of the year effectively,” says Selma Postma, Managing Director E-commerce at PostNL.
For PostNL, the festive season is when months of preparation come together. Tens of thousands of colleagues working in sorting, transport and delivery are committed to ensuring that all mail and parcels are delivered properly and on time throughout the festive period.
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