eCommerce brands have been warned that they face steeper costs this holiday shipping season as parcel networks factor in surcharges for Black Friday and Christmas.
Diamond Logistics said Royal Mail had confirmed its peak season surcharge will run from 2 November until 10 January for domestic and international business account products, on top of a baseline fuel and energy surcharge previously raised to 16%.
Evri, meanwhile, is applying temporary peak premiums between 2 November and 3 January.
Diamond added that, alongside penalties for oversized parcels, DHL Express UK was introducing a £0.10 per kg demand surcharge for domestic time-definite services from 1 November through 31 December 2026.
Kate Lester, Diamond CEO, said: “Relying on a single carrier can leave businesses exposed when volumes increase.
“Different carriers will have different strengths when it comes to destinations, parcel sizes, delivery speeds, costs and capacity, so it is important to understand which options are right for the products being sent and the customers receiving them.”
The e-commerce fulfilment and delivery specialist also urged brands to ensure their operations were ready for what it described as an unpredictable peak season.
It said there had been a perfect storm of changing consumer spending habits – with many spreading the cost of their purchases over several months, geopolitical turbulence causing delays and a hike in freight rates as well as warehousing capacity shortages on home soil.
Diamond said additional charges highlighted the importance of reviewing carrier arrangements and delivery costs ahead of peak, rather than assuming that their sole carrier will be the most cost-effective or reliable option throughout the busiest period of the year.
“For an online brand, getting ready for peak is about understanding where the pressure points are before they become a problem,” Lester said.
“That means, looking at your stock, your systems, your carrier arrangements, your fulfilment capacity, and asking whether they are genuinely fit for the season ahead.
“If those conversations are left too late, options become much more limited. You may find that additional space is harder to secure, that carrier costs have already increased, or that there simply isn’t enough time to make the operational changes needed.”
