The holiday season (beginning with Black Friday) always means soaring volumes of packages in any multifamily residence mailroom. The average holiday season package volume has been rising for years, of course, with the advent of overnight delivery services like FedEx and the huge growth of online stores like Amazon. But with the COVID-19 pandemic this year, online purchases have skyrocketed. And now comes the holiday season. Have you thought about the convergence of these powerful forces? And the challenges they present to package management in 2020?
So far this year, package volumes have already exceeded that of last year. Shipping and logistics experts estimate that Black Friday could see an additional 70% leap in deliveries. It’s doubtless that the typical mailroom has been gearing up because of COVID-19-driven volumes. But while mailroom managers already expect a rising tide of packages, are they prepared for a tsunami?
Globe Newswire reported: “In the U.S., every day in April was Black Friday, with data showing that e-commerce sales for the month were consistently above 2019 Black Friday sales … multifamily partners experienced major increases — up to 67 percent — in their year-over-year package volume between March 13 and June 7.
“So far this year … [there has been] a 73 percent year-over-year increase in package delivery volume … We expect this growth to continue, compounding on an even greater increase in package volume as the multifamily industry enters the 2020 holiday season.”
Some multifamily package trends
Ordinarily, apartment communities receive an average of 150 packages a week. Now, that average has jumped to 270 packages a week, an 81% increase. Multifamily residences have reported an average year-over-year increase in package volume of 65%.
As for couriers, they are anticipating holiday delivery volume increases as more people make essential purchases online to be shipped to their residences. USPS reports a 70% jump in package volume since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Notifii, our business is to facilitate mailroom management and reduce its costs — not to exaggerate problems. But we are observing every indication of increasing volume. In March and April, package volumes were 7% higher than during the 2019 holidays. As reported by SJ Consulting, Inc., the total holiday season package volume for this year is set to increase as much as 70% over last year’s holiday rush. Now, with just weeks until Black Friday, the pressure is on property managers to identify and implement new solutions that are up to the unprecedented challenge.
Online retailers and package carriers reportedly are well-prepared to cope with the traffic and profit from it. But our concern is with your community and facility and if they are prepared. This has implications for how you store packages, keep the mailroom from overflowing, and achieve all this without violating norms of social distancing.
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The Notifii Track package management system
If you are still manually managing packages at a typical multifamily facility, then you know that you are spending around $3,000 a month. Looking at the volume that mailrooms like yours now face, that cost of pen-and-paper tracking could soar to $10,000 a month.
We have designed, tested, and fielded Notifii Track, a cloud-based package management software system that substitutes efficiency for storage lockers, substitutes automation for pen and paper, and thereby reduces labor costs. Notifii Track makes your mailroom not “impersonal” but more responsive to package recipients, more timely in notifications, and more reassuring to recipients that their package is in good hands.
Here are the ways that Notifii Track can help you control the holiday season package volume to deliver service residents expect:
- The Notifii Track system automatically notifies residents when your staff logs in their package. To avoid a crush at the mailroom door, Notifii Track can also time notifications, so traffic to your mailroom can be efficiently serviced.
- With Notifii Track’s “Smart Snap” feature, you scan packages with your cellphone to instantly enter the recipient’s name, address, and shipping information into the system.
- Notifii Track keeps residents aware that their package is available. Residents know the mailroom is keeping track of things and keeps packages from piling up.
Notifii gets you ready for the holidays
Keeping costs down and making your mailroom operation more efficient are top goals for the holidays, especially with the unprecedented package volume this season. If your mailroom needs a system of proven reliability and efficiency, there is still time to get ready to meet and exceed expectations during the holidays. We are ready at Notifii to schedule a demo at your earliest convenience. If you act now, your package management in these unprecedented times will rise to any challenge. And cost savings and streamlining operations are obvious goals as the holiday season and its unprecedented package volumes approach. If your mailroom does not have an effective, proven package tracking software, it is not too late. You can call Notifii at any time to discuss your individual situation and unique needs with our product specialists. When the holidays roll around, your package handling system will be operating at full capacity.
Notifii is not a single software system. It is software adaptable to your requirements: how many properties you manage, how many residents, and your average volume of traffic until now. That is the information our software specialists need to recommend the right software package for you. And remember, you use Notifii on a month-to-month basis, with no contract required — and no card information required to schedule your free demo — just call and we’ll set it up.
Be sure to check back here regularly for information, insights, and updates on trends that challenge package management and discuss the best solutions. You’ll be well-equipped for the package volume this holiday season and beyond!
Meanwhile, don’t be a stranger. Follow us on Twitter for the latest intelligence on package volumes, software updates, and software to optimize your mailroom cost-control and resident satisfaction.
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