Dutch Sinterklaas holiday results in record number of parcels at PostNL

By

Shomara Roosblad

Published
Dec 6, 2018

Dutch mail and parcel company PostNL delivered 12 million parcels in the period after Black Friday and Cyber Monday and leading up to the Dutch holiday Sinterklaas, the parcel company said on Wednesday.

The parcel company said the large volume set a record for the time period. In 2017, PostNL processed just under 10 million packages between Black Friday and Sinterklaas.

The Dutch Payments Association reports that the Sinterklaas holiday has led to a 17% increase in online payments, amounting to 108 million online payments, which generated a total amount of €991 million.

PostNL said online shopping during the holidays has gained noticeably in popularity over the years. In 2018, Black Friday and Cyber Monday were more popular than ever before in the Netherlands. The latter even resulted in delivery delays. Local media also reported that the parcel company has been flooded with consumer complaints about Sinterklaas gifts not arriving on time.

Earlier this year, figures from the Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor  showed the increasing popularity of online shopping in the Netherlands. In the first six months of 2018, Dutch consumers spent  €11.83 billion at online stores, an 11% increase, compared to H1 2017.

PostNL is still convinced that it is ready for the Christmas period, which is historically the busiest time at the company, arguing that it has recently opened three new sorting centers; hired 300 additional employees and purchased new trucks to add to its delivery fleet.