Covid-19 Shipping News
This document is updated as we receive news from our partners.
As Covid-19 (coronavirus) quarantines and restrictions are put in place across the world, including Europe, UK, and the US, there will inevitably be an impact on the e-commerce, shipping and fulfillment industries.
At this difficult and daunting time, we want to keep you and your businesses as enlightened as possible.
Here are the latest news updates from delivery carriers and e-commerce platforms regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
Please note that these updates are subject to change if in doubt visit the website of the delivery carrier or contact your account manager.
Etsy
Etsy CEO, Josh Silverman, has announced new benefits for Etsy sellers to help during the pandemic.
"If you’re having dispatch challenges, delivery issues, or trouble meeting a deadline, just let us know. Our dedicated team is here 24/7 and can provide you with resources to assist you in managing through these times and help your shop stay in good standing when challenges arise."
New Benefits
Etsy has pledged to spend $5million in offsite advertising on Facebook, Google, Pinterest, Instagram and Bing until the end of April to bring in customer traffic at no extra cost for Etsy sellers.
The marketplace has also brought in a 1 month grace period for online sellers who have any outstanding bills, no questions asked.
COVID-19 Safety
A COVID-19 safety guide has been published on Etsy for buyers.
In this guide, Etsy has outlined how they are protecting the community from coronavirus profiteering including products with false medical claims. The e-commerce platform has also asked for customers to be more patient for their orders to arrive and stay in communication with their seller.
"We ask that you have extra patience at this time, since many sellers in our community are facing disruptions in their usual routines that may cause some unpredictability when it comes to fulfilling orders."
Amazon
Amazon announced that they are temporarily suspending non-essential shipments to warehouses in the UK and US by third-party e-commerce sellers.
Amazon sellers have been informed that this is due to increased demand for household products and medical supplies, resulting in lower stock than usual.
This follows widespread panic buying by UK consumers, with some retailers unexpectedly facing supply chain issues to compete with demand.
“We understand this is a change for our selling partners and appreciate their understanding as we temporarily prioritise these products for customers”
The online retailer will prioritise the following categories: groceries, baby products, health and household, beauty and personal care, pet supplies, and industrial and scientific.
In response to huge increases in e-commerce demand, Amazon is also planning to hire over 10,000 employees to work in their fulfilment centres.
Royal Mail
The Royal Mail has updated their international delivery destination list due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although 'major export routes remain open' and services to the US are still operational.
These countries have been suspended until further notice:
• Albania
• Armenia
• Bermuda
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Caribbean Islands – British Virgin Island, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands & Haiti
• Cuba
• Equador
• Djibouti
• French Polynesia
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Macedonia
• Mauritania
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Philippines
• Samoa
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Tunisia
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Venezuela (long term)
• Zimbabwe
Changes to signatures
In an effort to protect Royal Mail staff and customers, signatures will no longer be captured using a hand-held device. Instead, postal workers will take down the name of the recipient for signed for deliveries.
Non-contact delivery
Packages that don't fit through the letterbox will be placed at the door of the recipient by Royal Mail. Postmen and women will knock on the door/ring the doorbell and stand nearby to ensure that it has been received safely.
Following Royal Mail's usual measures, a 'Something for You' card to pick up the package will be left if no one picks up the parcel.
eBay
eBay has released a statement after eBay sellers have been found to sell essential items at a premium due to the coronavirus.
Like other online marketplaces, eBay has been combating e-commerce sellers from profiting from the crisis by selling items such as toilet roll and sanitiser at extortionate prices.
"We continue to work closely with authorities including Trading Standards, and our international security teams have been working around the clock to remove any unreasonably priced listings. Where sellers are attempting to circumvent our filters, we are taking necessary enforcement action."
DHL
The Deutsch Post DHL Group has established a Covid-19 task force to monitor the outcomes of the coronavirus outbreak and work with international organisations.
For DHL delivery workers they have put in place 'Safety First' etiquette rules which involve social distancing and thorough hygiene practices.
DPD and DPD Local
DPD has been very thorough with coronavirus updates, and they are updating their page every day to keep their customers in the know with the latest news.
To minimise the risk of disease, DPD has created measures to rotate staff, brought in more drivers to cover absences, and arranged extra cleaning services for depots.
All parcel collection, sortation and delivery operations from DPD and DPD local are running as normal. The delivery carrier has confirmed that they are 'seeing extremely good service levels right across our network'.
Postcode Delivery Restrictions
On Friday 27th March DPD announced restrictions on a selection of postcodes in Italy, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
The full list of restricted postcodes can be found here.
Air Transport Increases
Due to widespread lockdown restrictions and border closures, DPD has stated that costs of air linehaul services have risen in line with restricted capacity.
"As the pandemic is beyond our reasonable control, the costs faced by DPD to provide International delivery services to certain destinations have increased so dramatically that we are unable to sustain services at the same rate as your current quote."
Extra shipment charges will affect services to Cyprus, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and the USA.
Proof of Delivery
DPD has announced an update to their contact free delivery. Although customers won't be asked to sign handheld units, DPD delivery drivers will take a photo of the parcel as proof of delivery.
FedEx
FedEx have announced that they will be temporarily suspending signatures on delivery, not including 'Adult Signature Required' shipments. FedEx has also put in place restrictions on inbound and outbound shipments to and from China.
Due to the Coronavirus travel restrictions, FedEx has suspended their money-back guarantee for FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and FedEx Office services until further notice.
FedEx have released an online tool that allows you to search by postcode/city to see how COVID-19 is affecting specific areas.
To find out more about the measures that have been put in place visit the FedEx website or search the FedEx COVID-19 Impact database.
P2P
The FedEx-owned delivery company, P2P, has sent a coronavirus update to their customers outlining the changes taking place.
To ensure that shipments continue to be sent in coronavirus hit countries, packages will be sent via linehaul, which may come at an extra cost.
"We will ensure you are informed of these charges as soon as possible, but to make sure your shipments are allocated the space we have procured, we will automatically move your shipments by our approved linehaul."
In logistics, linehaul is a method of moving freight and cargo between cities and countries by lorry. P2P manage their own linehaul with a licence to complete customs checks and directly load international deliveries.
P2P has stated that you should contact your account manager if you would not like your parcels to be shipped using this method.
Tuffnells
Palletised freight delivery service, Tuffnells, has given a service notification on the Covid-19 pandemic. International deliveries with Tuffnells will face some disruption as freight services to Italy have been stopped, as have all import services.
They have also stated that there are longer waiting times than usual for shipments departing from the UK and at the European borders. Tuffnells deliveries in China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Mongolia, and Indonesia are also affected.
Commercial vehicles are being accepted into European countries, but a written confirmation that the consignee can accept the delivery will be needed.
In France, only business shipments that have confirmed that the recipient business will be open are being accepted. Despite this, packages that are 50kg in weight, 270cm length and 330cm in girth and below are not affected.
Hermes
Hermes has notified that their delivery couriers will be implementing contact-free delivery. Customers will be asked to choose a safe place for their delivery, and those with a package on the way can divert it to their safe place via tracking.
Hermes couriers will leave the parcel in a secure place, take a photo and send it in a notification email to the customer if a place isn't specified. However if there isn't a safe spot to leave parcels, delivery will be reattempted up to 3 times.