Couriers bracing for Christmas shipstorm

(Updated) As couriers scramble to deliver a flood of parcels before Christmas, Purolator says today will be its busiest shipping day of the holiday season.

The company expects it will ship approximately 1.3 million pieces today. It says December 23rd is the latest date to ship a parcel for next-day delivery in Canada.

December 22nd is the deadline to send parcels for next-day delivery to the United States. If you are shipping something to Europe, it must be sent by tomorrow.

As online shopping becomes more popular and convenient, couriers are reporting growing volumes of shipments at this time of year. Here’s what some people had to say to CHCH News about the growing trend of shopping online.

“I do a lot of on-line shopping. That’s where i got a lot of my gifts. It is really, really easy and it saves me time.”

“I think it is awesome. I think it is really good. They are doing well.”

“It is either at 7:00 when they open or I am shopping on-line. I love it.”

“It is convenient, but shipping can cost a lot.”

The courier crush is compounded as major retailers compete for online shoppers by offering free shipping.