Global Trade

Deck the halls with these peak season insights

Like ornaments on a Christmas tree, the holiday peak season is decorated with opportunities and risks. Each bulb on the tree tells a story of risk and opportunity – and understanding them is key to turning this and future peak seasons into a success.

‘Tis the season to be jolly well prepared

The fourth quarter is traditionally the busiest time of the year for retail and e-commerce businesses. Logically, this means that it’s also the busiest time for the logistics business, and that means we here at DHL Group are working in high gear alongside our customers to manage this peak moment in shipment volumes.

Like Santa, we’ve learned a lot over the years about getting goods around the globe in time for Christmas. There are many risks but even more opportunities. We’ve hung them all on the tree for you – take a closer look below.

PLANNING

To try to match inventory to demand

EFFICIENCY

To minimize costs and maximize productivity

FLEXIBILITY

To respond to changes in demand

CAPACITY

To minimize stock shortages and maximize availability

Peak season risks

CONSUMER DEMAND
TRADE TENSIONS
GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
WEATHER
INDUSTRIAL ACTION
OMNISHORING / NEARSHORING
SUSTAINABILITY

Peak season opportunities

PRICING & PROMOTIONS
LAST-MILE PARCEL
EXPRESS DELIVERY
RETURNS
MULTIMODAL SHIPPING
AIRFREIGHT SHIPPING
HIRING & LABOR
ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION
INTERNATIONAL MARKET EXPANSION

The final quarter is traditionally the busiest time of the year for DHL Group. We expect a typically positive seasonal business trend. Our primary goal is to deliver the best possible quality for our customers, even in this phase of high shipment volumes. Good preparation is particularly important at this time.

Tobias Meyer, CEO, DHL Group

Explore more!

Get more expert insights to help navigate the peak season – from more success factors to supply chain strategies.

Navigating the retail peak season

4 factors for peak season success

Mastering peak season

Published: December 2024

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