Will Black Friday and Christmas Save the Year?

  • Online retail order volumes increased by 6.4% YoY in September
  • Lowest YoY rate in 2018 so far
  • Order volumes typically decline MoM around this time of year
  • Sharper decline for past two months compared to last year
  • Record percentage of orders sent using next-day delivery in September (55%)
  • Next day delivery used to drive sales and retain customer loyalty
  • Retailers need to fulfil increasing volume of time-sensitive orders

Online retail parcel delivery order volumes have seen a slow growth in September, with only a 6.4% increase year-on-year (YoY), according to the IMRG MetaPack UK Delivery Index. This marks the lowest YoY rate this year. The index also notes that the decline in order volumes tends to happen around this time but has been more pronounced for the past two months compared to last year. However, there was a record percentage of orders sent using next-day delivery in September, with 55% of UK-delivered orders opting for this service. Next day delivery is often used to drive sales and retain customer loyalty, but retailers must ensure they can handle the increasing volume of time-sensitive orders to perform well during the crucial final quarter of the year.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information about the increase in online retail parcel delivery order volumes and the record percentage of next-day delivery usage. It also includes expert opinions on potential reasons for these trends and their implications for the upcoming trading period.
Noise Level: 6
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about online retail parcel delivery order volumes and next-day delivery trends, but it also includes some speculation about potential reasons for the decline in growth which may not be directly supported by data or evidence.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Online retail industry
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses changes in online parcel delivery order volumes and next-day delivery usage, which can impact the financial performance of e-commerce companies and affect their sales during the upcoming holiday season.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no mention of an extreme event in the last 48 hours.

Reported publicly: www.retailsector.co.uk