Guernsey Post enjoys bumper deliveries
MORE than one million mail items were handled by Guernsey Post in the first week of December.
‘We still have some way to go but in the first week the total amount of mail processed for delivery within the Bailiwick, or despatched to the UK, has exceeded one million items [and] we expect to at least maintain that level throughout the rest of the month,’ said Guernsey Post chief executive Boley Smillie.
The surge in volume represents an 82% increase on the average weekly volumes handled in November, which in itself is one of the busiest months of the year.
‘So far, parcels which are largely internet shopping purchases are up by about 10% on last year, Christmas cards posted within the Bailiwick are down by about 5% and our bulk mail business is up by about 5%’, said Mr Smillie.
Much of the Christmas volume is generated by the personalised greetings card and gift industry such as Moonpig and Funky Pigeon, both of which have production facilities in the island.
To support this additional volume at least one extra aircraft each day will be used to fly the mail to the UK up until the weekend before Christmas Day.
To help cope with the demand, staff will be delivering to islanders every day until Christmas Eve, including Saturdays and Sundays.
As well, around 10 temporary members of staff have been recruited for the festive season to help out in the sorting office.
‘We are doing four of five more delivery times a day to ensure islanders get their parcels and cards delivered as soon as they arrive in Guernsey,’ he said.
‘Because of high winds over the last two weekends the ferry schedules have been cancelled or changed and at this time of year we are receiving more than two-thirds of mail by boat.
‘As a consequence of that we have been having days where we receive up to 20 tonnes of mail compared with an average day of between five or six.
‘As of this morning we are in really good shape, we have delivered everything we have received. More mail is expected to come in later this afternoon and tomorrow morning and while we expect it to be a really busy few days as the boats catch up, by the weekend we should be back to normal, providing the weather stays fine.’
