Transport and logistics sector gearing up for £5bn shopping weekend

A leading contracting specialist says the transport and logistics sector is gearing up as financial forecasters predict a £5bn* Christmas shopping weekend.

Nova Contracting’s Director Marcus Green believes that this weekend’s ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ are likely to be some of the busiest days yet this year for transport and logistics contractors. His company operates across the logistics, industrial, education, healthcare, catering and hospitality sectors, working with the UK’s leading recruitment agencies and contractors.

He commented: “Despite current market uncertainties, analysts are predicting another record shopping spree across the period taking in so-called Black Friday on 25 November and Cyber Monday on 28 November, with an ever-increasing level of those sales online.

“Last year UK consumers spent £3.3 billion in that period, with Black Friday recording the UK’s biggest day for online retail ever. Many retailers chose to spread deals across a full week or more and this is likely to be the trend for this year, creating a huge surge in demand for temporary workforce across the transport and logistics sector.

“We’re already seeing the effects of this, with contractor registrations up on last year and we expect high demand to continue throughout December and into the New Year returns and sales period.

“We’re working with recruitment agencies across the UK to help meet that demand, both for temporary drivers and the packaging teams and administration staff who are essential to getting those online shopping orders on the road.”

* Figure provided by ecommerce consultancy Salmon in its Black Friday 2016 playbook.