DPD reveals Peak plans

DPD has revealed its plans for handling the record number of parcels that everyone is predicting will be delivered between Black Friday and the January sales. DPD, after consulting with its customers and major retail clients, is gearing up for a 30% increase in parcel volumes compared to last year.

In anticipation of this parcel influx, DPD has recruited over 1,000 seasonal staff, but the company stressed that its “main focus” will be on the following five “long term key strategic developments”:

• the company’s newest and most technology advanced hub in Hinckley, Leicestershire, which opened in September and increases DPD’s overall UK parcel capacity by 65%
• over 950 new, permanent DPD drivers recruited and trained ahead of Peak
• four new, purpose-built 60,000 sq ft ‘Super Depots’ in Cardiff, Dagenham, Exeter and Stoke. DPD’s total hub and depot floor space in the UK has increased 75% from 1.6 million sq ft in 2010 to 2.8 million sq ft in 2015
• DPD Pickup parcel shop network – over 2,500 participating DPD Pickup shops around the UK including Halfords, the Rowlands and Numark chemist chains and transport hub parcel specialists Doddle
• Sunday deliveries: DPD delivers seven days a week all year round and is expecting to deliver over 250,000 parcels on Sundays during Peak.

DPD added that its Predict service will “underpin” all its operations, giving customers advanced notification of their one-hour delivery slot and access to a range of ‘in-flight options’ such as deliver to a specific neighbour, leave in a specified safe place or divert delivery to the nearest DPD Pickup shop.

Commenting on the company’s preparations, Dwain McDonald, DPD’s CEO, said; “We’ve been talking in detail with our customers, who include many of the biggest retailers in the country, and it is clear that from Black Friday, right through to the January sales, this year is going to break all records for online shopping. For us, that means millions of parcels that have to be delivered, right first time.

“As a result, we’ve invested more than ever this year to provide the best service for our business and retail customers. As much as possible, our approach is about investing in permanent, full-time, trained drivers, using the best technology available to get the job done. Supporting them, I think we’ve got the best network in the industry and more capacity than ever thanks to our brand new £100m hub and much larger regional depots.

“For me the key to handling volume is around being more efficient. The latest fully automated hubs and depots help us manage higher volumes in the network, while being a seven day a week operation means we are constantly moving everything through the system avoiding build-ups over the weekend. Out on the road, we’ll send over 50 million advanced notifications during Peak, and the real time responses our drivers receive from recipients mean that before they attempt a delivery, they already know who’s in or out and what they want us to do with their parcel, which saves a huge amount of time.”