There are 10 extra people helping in the sorting room and out delivering rounds.
Parcel volumes have been rising in recent weeks, with November 5% up compared to last year.
However, with major retailers launching offers earlier and extending promotions over several weeks, parcel volumes have been distributed more evenly across delivery days than in previous years. Despite this shift, the underlying trend is upwards as customers show consistent demand for online shopping.
Guernsey Post anticipates delivering more than 750,000 parcels during the festive period, reflecting the continued strength of demand for online shopping.
‘Shopping patterns have evolved, with fewer sharp daily spikes, but a steady build-up in demand as we approach Christmas,’ said Guernsey Post chief executive Steve Sheridan.
‘Our myUKaddress service continues to perform strongly, and demand remains high for popular retailers like eBay, Zara, Vinted, and TikTok Shop, as well as our new Primark click & collect option, which has been a real hit with customers. The recent uplift is a positive sign that customers are shopping with confidence this festive season.’
Parcels are currently being delivered six days week, but Guernsey Post is also keeping the option open to also deliver on 21 December, the last Sunday before Christmas, if required.
There are 130 electric postal vans, which are used every day for deliveries.
‘They are very busy right now,’ Mr Sheridan said.
The postal service’s new parcel machine, which was installed in 2023, has been busy and is able to cope with parcels up to 20kg.
‘We are seeing a lot of large parcels,’ Mr Sheridan said, ‘both weight and size increases.’
The parcel machine can process up to 6,500 parcels an hour, and at the Christmas peak Guernsey Post will be processing 24,000 parcels a day.
The inbound mail plane stopped earlier this year and all parcels come in by boat, but Mr Sheridan said islanders should have seen very little difference, as even before the mail plane halted, most parcels came by ferry.
‘Everything coming in by boat has been very stable and reliable,’ he said.
Staff start at 4.45am to accept the parcels from the boat and start processing them, ready for deliveries to start at 9am. They aim to finish deliveries by 3pm.
Guernsey Post is still offering reduced rate 64p Christmas stamps, which can be sent locally up until 19 December. But the number of Christmas cards, like letters, have been dropping, with about a 10% to 15% drop in letters seen across the year.
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