CitySprint to hire hundreds more couriers for peak season

UK same-day courier company CitySprint is taking on up to 300 extra couriers in the run-up to its busiest peak period year. The company said last year’s festive season saw the number of retail orders it handled rise by a massive 272% in November and 319% in December compared to the same months in 2010.

CitySprint, which has been growing considerably through acquisitions as well as organically in recent years, made more than 500,000 deliveries in the UK in the final two months of 2011.

The company’s busiest day of all was 23rd December, as customers left their Christmas shopping to the last minute.

This year, CitySprint is predicting even higher volumes.

Patrick Gallagher, the company’s chief executive, said his company was expecting a record peak, and was “pulling out all the stops” to ensure it was ready for the rush.

“The home delivery landscape is hotting up,” he said. “Consumers’ expectations are higher than ever and shoppers now expect delivery to be on their terms.”

Delivery options

CitySprint, which has a regional network of 35 service centres across the UK and a fleet of more than 2,000 vehicles, currently reaches about 81% of mainland UK within 60 minutes.

The company launched a new delivery feature called “MyTime” last month, which allows retailers to offer their customers time-specific delivery options, including a one-hour delivery window.

The service uses retailers’ own existing IT systems and pick-and-pack processes.

“The retail and delivery industries need to work together to make sure that they are offering consumers delivery options that suit their lifestyles this Christmas,” said Gallagher. “Above all, they need to be prepared.”