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Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

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TrueBlueTerrier
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Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by TrueBlueTerrier »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c627g4l8347o

Image

A Royal Mail parcel "super hub" is in "a really strong position" in the lead up to Christmas, its general manager said.

The facility opened last year at Daventry International Railfreight Terminal (DIRFT) in Northamptonshire and can handle up to 90,000 parcels per hour.

The 53-acre (214,483 sq m) site employs about 2,350 people, including seasonal and agency staff, and is the company's largest automated parcel hub.

Alex Grieves said the centre was processing "over one million parcels a day" in the run up to Christmas Day.

He said: "The site is open 364 days a year, 24/7. The only day we are is closed is Christmas Day."

Mr Grieves added that Royal Mail's operation was in place "around the clock" with "at least 300 to 400 people on site every hour of every single day".

He said that about 70% of parcels handled by the parcel hub were from manufacturers and said the Christmas rush had "exploded" since Black Friday last month.

The delivery service has advised customers to send parcels intended for pre-Christmas delivery as soon as possible, and has published its last posting dates.

On Monday, the government approved the sale of Royal Mail's parent company to a Czech billionaire in a takeover deal worth about £3.6bn.

But Mr Grieves said it was business as usual at the facility, despite the development.

"It's too early to understand what it [the takeover] means from a local perspective," he said.

"All we know at the moment is that we are very, very busy for Christmas.

"We're doing a million parcels a day, we don't envisage anything to change as we move into hearing a bit more about the takeover in the new year."

Jenny Hall, corporate affairs director at Royal Mail, said there was "no impact" from the takeover on its "flagship" automated parcel site.

She said: It's [the hub in Daventry] is a really, really important part of our investment of building a Royal Mail for the future and making sure we can deliver the nation's parcels much quicker and more efficiently."
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Londonsburning
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by Londonsburning »

Why was it so quiet/empty on the news at 6am yesterday then? :hmmmm
Dorset Plodder
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by Dorset Plodder »

Quick photo opportunity for Management! :thumbup

At least it's not some postie inanely grinning into the camera. Is it a fashion amoungst all Managers to turn up for work unshaven ... Scruffy Bastard ... but at least he's not wearing a tracksuit. :cuppa
Like all Wage Slaves, he had two crosses to bear: The people he worked for and the people he worked with! (Stephen Vizinczey.)
scotchy1962
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by scotchy1962 »

Sure isn't it great they can process all those parcels....... now all they need to do is employ enough people to deliver them.
Hyrrokkin
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by Hyrrokkin »

Smug PR photo i see
Barnacle
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by Barnacle »

Week before Christmas and parcel volumes are anything but voluminous. They were during Black Friday
/week/fortnight but it has dropped right off.

Letters and cards are of course flooding in.

I’ll be very interested in whether there has been any significant rise in parcel volumes compared to the last Christmas quarter.
’You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.’
ConeHater
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by ConeHater »

Londonsburning wrote:
17 Dec 2024, 13:15
Why was it so quiet/empty on the news at 6am yesterday then? :hmmmm
Much of the work has been diverted, MSH can’t be seen to fail.
menditsa
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by menditsa »

Diverted ? Where ?

Certainly isn't going to Parcelforce as the drivers I've seen covering in my area are having to go slow as they have hardly anything to deliver.
ConeHater
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by ConeHater »

menditsa wrote:
18 Dec 2024, 06:57
Diverted ? Where ?

Certainly isn't going to Parcelforce as the drivers I've seen covering in my area are having to go slow as they have hardly anything to deliver.
I imagine the two parcel sorting centres at M1 J16 and Milton Keynes are up and running !I hear NDC is rammed with work mostly contractors trucks going in there. Is Atherstone operating again for Christmas period too ?
ted_e_bear
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by ted_e_bear »

menditsa wrote:
18 Dec 2024, 06:57
Diverted ? Where ?

Certainly isn't going to Parcelforce as the drivers I've seen covering in my area are having to go slow as they have hardly anything to deliver.
It's mentioned in another thread that parcel force are very short of work, you can't make this up it's unbelievable
postman1979
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by postman1979 »

ConeHater wrote:
18 Dec 2024, 10:32
menditsa wrote:
18 Dec 2024, 06:57
Diverted ? Where ?

Certainly isn't going to Parcelforce as the drivers I've seen covering in my area are having to go slow as they have hardly anything to deliver.
I imagine the two parcel sorting centres at M1 J16 and Milton Keynes are up and running !I hear NDC is rammed with work mostly contractors trucks going in there. Is Atherstone operating again for Christmas period too ?
Yes Atherstone has been open since the middle of November. We sent nearly 700 yorks there on Monday night and over 300 last night, all large parcels.
TopperGas
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by TopperGas »

Barnacle wrote:
17 Dec 2024, 20:49
Week before Christmas and parcel volumes are anything but voluminous. They were during Black Friday
/week/fortnight but it has dropped right off.

Letters and cards are of course flooding in.

I’ll be very interested in whether there has been any significant rise in parcel volumes compared to the last Christmas quarter.
My DO managed to beat Black Friday's record which was set only a couple of weeks ago.
SpacePhoenix
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by SpacePhoenix »

Barnacle wrote:
17 Dec 2024, 20:49
Week before Christmas and parcel volumes are anything but voluminous. They were during Black Friday
/week/fortnight but it has dropped right off.

Letters and cards are of course flooding in.

I’ll be very interested in whether there has been any significant rise in parcel volumes compared to the last Christmas quarter.
Both letters and packets are way down. Starting to notice the DSA reappearing in the mech
Barnacle
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Re: Christmas rush 'explodes' at parcel 'super hub'

Post by Barnacle »

SpacePhoenix wrote:
18 Dec 2024, 19:39
Barnacle wrote:
17 Dec 2024, 20:49
Week before Christmas and parcel volumes are anything but voluminous. They were during Black Friday
/week/fortnight but it has dropped right off.

Letters and cards are of course flooding in.

I’ll be very interested in whether there has been any significant rise in parcel volumes compared to the last Christmas quarter.
Both letters and packets are way down. Starting to notice the DSA reappearing in the mech
I just think people don’t have the money to splurge on Black Friday deals AND Christmas manic buying. So the desire is still there but the money isn’t.
’You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.’