Omniva’s parcel volumes in Estonia grew by nearly 30% ahead of and during September E-Monday
The international technology and logistics group Omniva saw its parcel volumes in Estonia grow by approximately 30% in total over the two weeks before and during September’s E-Monday. Parcel volumes rose by 12.2% in the week preceding the campaign compared with the previous week, and by a further 15.5% during E-Monday week. Growth had already begun before the official campaign day.
“The impact of E-Monday can be felt even before the campaign day itself. Merchants are starting their special offers earlier, and online stores that do not officially take part in E-Monday are also planning campaigns for the same period. Competition for shoppers’ attention is intense. Merchants seek to stand out with discounts, free delivery and other shopping benefits. As a result, purchases are spread over a longer period, and campaign results should be assessed as a whole,” said Erko Brandt, Omniva’s Head of Sales for the Baltics.
Close cooperation with some of Estonia’s largest online merchants also supported the growth in Omniva’s parcel volumes. Several major online stores gave Omniva’s delivery options a prominent position. This helped increase the number of parcels sent through Omniva.
According to Brandt, spreading purchases over a longer period helps merchants and logistics companies organise their work. A successful campaign can, however, still lead to unexpected peaks in demand.
“We see that, for some merchants, the number of orders during a campaign exceeds expectations several times over. When more orders come in than expected, picking and packing them and handing the parcels over to Omniva may take longer than usual. Merchants should therefore assess how many orders they can fulfil when planning a campaign and give shoppers realistic information about when their goods will arrive,” Brandt explained.
September campaigns mark the start of the autumn shopping season
The campaigns held before and during September’s E-Monday signal that the busiest period for e-commerce and parcel delivery is approaching. In November, E-Monday, Black Friday and Cyber Monday will drive more shopping, while the number of parcels sent will also rise as Christmas approaches.
“We recommend doing your Christmas shopping early and not leaving parcel sending until the last minute. In the run-up to Christmas, merchants may need more time to pick and pack orders. Parcel delivery may also take longer than usual because more parcels are moving through the network. Placing orders and sending parcels early leaves more time to resolve any delays and makes it more likely that gifts will arrive in time for Christmas,” Brandt added.
During busy periods, people can also help by collecting their parcels from parcel machines as soon as possible. This frees up compartments for the next parcels and helps others receive theirs sooner.
Parcel machines are by far the most popular way to send and receive parcels in Estonia, preferred by 83% of Estonian residents. Omniva is expanding its parcel machine network so that people can send and receive parcels as close to home as possible.