Germans ship 2% less during holidays

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2023. 11. 22. 09:02

During November and December, the German courier, express and parcel industry is expected to transport around 715 million shipments. This comes down to around 10 million shipments less than the same period last year, which is a decrease of 2 percent.

The challenging economic conditions continue to impact the courier, express and parcel (CEP) industry in Germany this year. For the Christmas season, a slight decrease in CEP shipments ranging between 0 percent and 2 percent is expected. Ecommerce in Germany is expected to generate approximately 715 million CEP shipments (which include B2C, B2B and C2C) during November and December.

Around 14.5 million shipments on a typical day

The insight stems from a market analysis conducted on behalf of the German Bundesverband Paket & Espress Logistiek (BIEK), which is the federal association of parcel and express logistics. The association expects that, during the holiday season, an average of about 14.5 million shipments will be delivered on a typical day. Theoretically, up to 20 million shipments could be transported on peak days within the networks of parcel service providers.

To manage this high daily volume of shipments, additional staff and vehicles will be required. It is estimated that CEP companies will rely on approximately 15,000 additional workers and employ up to 10.000 extra vehicles.

1.5% decrease of sector in H1

The German CEP sector recorded a 1,5 percent decrease in shipment volume in the first half of 2023. Parcel shipments declined by just under 1 percent, while express and courier shipments decreased by around 6 percent.

The overall economic situation in Germany led to a significant decrease in shipment volume in the B2B segment. The economy is marked by stagnation, resulting in reduced production in key sectors, consumer restraint due to inflation, associated loss of purchasing power and a higher inclination towards savings.

Simultaneously, there was no stronger recovery observed in the B2C segment in the initial months of 2023. Over 13 million CEP shipments were transported daily in the first half of this year.

Revenue of €26.3 billion in 2023

Considering the developments in the year’s previous period, approximately 4.1 billion shipments are expected for the entire year in Germany. This places the CEP market at approximately the same level as last year. Furthermore, an estimated revenue of 26.3 billion euros is expected for the entire express and parcel industry.

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