• Keep the deadlines in mind: hand in standard parcels by 22 December at the latest

• Home deliveries and deliveries to parcel shops remain completely contact-free

• Tips for consignors: pack parcels securely and use the digital parcel management system in the DPD App

Aschaffenburg, 24 November 2020 – For the CEP sector the pre-Christmas rush has already begun. DPD Germany expects absolute record volumes again in 2020, and is transporting up to 2.5 million parcels a day in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Compared to last year's Christmas business, parcel volumes are expected to increase by around 20 percent. In order to provide a reliable service in spite of these challenges and to deliver parcels in time for Christmas, DPD Germany has deployed over 2,000 additional vehicles and more than 4,000 additional personnel.

This year Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday. Accordingly, standard parcels should be handed to a Pickup parcelshop for shipping by Tuesday, 22 December (12 noon) at the latest, so that within Germany they can be delivered in time for Christmas Eve. Express parcels, on the other hand, will still arrive on time if they are posted by 12 noon on Wednesday, 23 December.

For international shipping to EU countries DPD Germany recommends that parcels should be sent earlier. If they are to arrive under the Christmas tree on time, standard parcels should be shipped by Friday, 18 December (12 noon) at the latest. The delivery time calculator on the DPD website provides an overview of shipping times for international parcels. DPD parcels are shipped in a completely carbon-neutral manner, in accordance with its voluntary group-wide commitment for all parcels transported.

 

At Christmas, too, pandemic precautions take top priority

For many months now DPD Germany has been applying comprehensive and strictly monitored rules at all its locations to prevent the corona virus from spreading further. These rules are of course applied just as stringently when parcel volumes rise dramatically during the pre-Christmas period. For example, DPD has introduced entirely contact-free delivery for parcels handed to consignees at their front door and in parcel shops. In addition, masks are compulsory at all locations, and strict social distancing and hygiene rules apply in all parts of the company premises. All locations are equipped with protective equipment and disinfectants in large quantities. The frequency of cleaning and ventilation has been massively increased.

Parcel consignees who have a safe place on their property can give DPD a deposit okay during the Christmas period. This means that parcels can be delivered entirely without customer contact. The principle has proven its worth, especially during times of pandemic, and since March it has been in even greater demand. In addition, the deposit okay simplifies and shortens the delivery process.

 

Packaging for gifts should be secure as well as attractive

To ensure that your Christmas parcel arrives on time and safely, we recommend that you observe the following guidelines when packing and labelling:

• The shipping carton should be robust, secure and undamaged. The cardboard box must be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of its contents - even in the event of impact.

• Under no circumstances should the outside of the parcel be decorated with wrapping paper or ribbons - these can get caught in the automatic parcel sorting equipment.

• Empty spaces in the carton should be padded so that its contents have as little room for movement as possible.

• Sensitive goods must not come into direct contact with the shipping carton. Bubble wrap and other packaging materials provide additional protection for the contents of the parcel.

• The parcel label should always be applied on the largest surface of the parcel.

• If several parcel labels are used (for example, additional address information), they must not overlap.

• Any old parcel labels/barcodes still on the parcel should be removed or made illegible.

 

Follow the journey of your gift with the DPD App

Thanks to DPD's wide-ranging digital services, both the shipper and the consignee always have the option of tracking the progress of the gift in real time. Extensive tools for this purpose are available both on the DPD website and in the DPD App. With the Live-Tracking function consignees can see where their parcel is currently located on a detailed online map. Thanks to its Predict digital service, for every parcel DPD also provides a delivery forecast which is accurate to the nearest hour. In the course of the day the predicted delivery time is even narrowed down to 30 minutes.

DPD recommends private shippers to indicate the consignee's email address when they send parcels. This gives consignees the opportunity to conveniently manage their parcel if they are not at home. At the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger they can arrange for the parcel to be deposited in a safe place or for it to be delivered on another day. As an alternative every shipment can be individually redirected, for example to a Pickup parcelshop.

Consignees who would like to thank their delivery driver during these particularly busy weeks can do so conveniently and above all contactless with the DPD App, which enables them to leave a digital tip for payment via PayPal.

 

How to find your local Pickup parcelshop

With the Parcelshop Finder on www.dpd.de it's easy to locate the nearest of DPD's more than 7,000 Pickup parcelshops. All the relevant information is also stored there. This includes not only the opening hours and address of the shop but also the additional services offered by the individual shops. Parcel shipping, including payment, can be processed completely digitally both on the website and in the DPD App, with the option of paying the delivery charge conveniently by PayPal or direct debit. Customers who ship their parcels digitally don't need to print out a parcel label. Even without registration they can create a mobile parcel label with a code and, if desired, store it in apps such as Wallet (iOS) or PassWallet (Android). The generated code is then displayed on their mobile at the parcel shop. All interactions at Pickup parcelshops are contact-free and take place with constantly maintained social distancing.