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DPD hires more drivers to cope with weekend delivery growth

By Danielle Wightman-Stone

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Parcel delivery company DPD has announced more than 700 new jobs in the UK in response to “rapid growth” in Saturday and Sunday deliveries.

In a statement, DPD states that it has created the new part-time, dedicated weekend delivery driver roles, following a 40 percent increase in weekend parcel volumes in the last year, which it states is due to general increase in e-commerce traffic and more retailers promoting the option of weekend deliveries, with fashion and electronic devices two of the fastest growing sectors for the company.

DPD chief executive, Dwain McDonald, said in a statement: “We’ve been amazed by the demand for our weekend service and we’re obviously delighted to be able to create more new jobs, as a result. We were the first major delivery company to offer a nationwide seven-day service, which gave us a real advantage, but this ongoing growth is yet another example of the march of UK e-tail.”

The parcel delivery company launched their nationwide seven-day service in July 2014, and has confirmed that it is planning over 1,000 such weekend drivers in 12 months time. In addition, DPD has also added 100 new warehouse jobs in the firm’s regional depot network, to support the increased traffic.

McDonald added: “The increased demand for weekend deliveries is coming direct from the consumer. Online shoppers increasingly expect to get their goods the next day, regardless of when they make the purchase.

“We also find that many customers now specifically request a weekend delivery for goods like fashion and electronic devices where they want to be sure they are going to be at home to receive it. Retailers trust us to deliver these types of goods safely and professionally, and we’re investing in that part of our business to meet the demand and improve the service still further.”

DPD