Retailers are poised to limit their next-day delivery services in the lead up to Christmas as the sector looks to spread out orders following supply chain disruptions and staff shortages.
Next and The Entertainer are among businesses mulling a temporary pause on delivery services to manage the increased demand for online orders.
The Entertainer founder and executive chairman, Garry Grant said the Black Friday shopping bonanza at the end of November will be “a nightmare weekend for anybody who is trying to organise and plan for logistics”.
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“Wherever possible our objective is to offer the level of service the customer wants, but I’m not sure that retailers generally have the infrastructure to peak out Black Friday,” he said.
“People who are offering next day delivery on things are now saying it’s a three-day delivery just to give them the ability to manage.”
Meanwhile, Next is considering a proposal to bring forward the daily cut-off times for next day orders to ease demand.
The company’s chief executive Lord Simon Wolfson said last month that the retailer was struggling to recruit lorry drivers and warehouse staff ahead of the crucial festive quarter.
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