Last year was an unusual holiday season for parcel carriers, as supply chain snags, tight inventory levels and consumers ordering earlier led to softer demand during the traditional peak shipping stretch than expected.
“Everyone was saying, ‘Shop early, shop early, shop early,’” Tomé said.
UPS is planning for a more typical peak this year, as low inventories and upstream congestion are no longer a concern. The company says it has deep insight into demand trends, as it collaborates closely with large shippers ahead of and during peak to prepare its network for the holiday surge in shipments.
