Delivery networks have mostly held up during the first major test of the peak shipping season, industry data show, as earlier shopping and increased in-store purchases have eased the usual late-year congestion.
UPS and the U.S. Postal Service have improved on-time deliveries during the weeks of and after Thanksgiving compared with a year ago, according to ShipMatrix Inc., a parcel analytics firm. The two-week period included the heavy shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Fedex posted a drop in on-time performance compared with last year, as measured by ShipMatrix, although it is an improvement from recent quarters. FedEx executives have said a continuing labor shortage is causing some orders to take extra time to reach their destinations.
There have been other pockets of problems in the shipping world. Some regional carriers have warned of delays because of the influx of packages and challenges finding workers. Some large retailers such as Target Corp. have been telling customers that some of their online orders might take an extra day or two to arrive.
CONTINUE READING AT » WSJ