Amazon Rugeley warehouse

Online retailer Amazon has claimed that the number of Sunday deliveries in its network has quadrupled in the past 12 months.

The retailer’s own logistics network began making deliveries seven days a week in January 2014, following a successful trial in London during the previous peak period.

Amazon did not disclose how many deliveries were made over last year’s peak, or how many were delivered on a Sunday, but claimed Sunday 21 December was the busiest of 2014 for deliveries as consumers took advantage of its next-day delivery service before Christmas.

The Amazon Logistics model sees Amazon operate its own depots while independent carriers make deliveries.  It provides third parties with IT such as handheld devices, routing and scheduling software.

In December it opened a new depot in Glasgow, increasing its network to 13 sites.

Jamie Stephenson, UK director for Amazon Logistics, said: “We’re excited that so many customers are  taking advantage of Sunday delivery and that so many local and regional delivery companies continue to join the Amazon Logistics platform.”

“And this is just the beginning – we recently opened a new delivery station in Glasgow and we hope to expand even further in  the future.”

In October Amazon partnered with Smiths News to launch its Pass my Parcel service, which involves the delivery of parcels into newsagents for recipients to collect.