International fulfilment services and tech provider, fulfilmentcrowd, has announced record-breaking year-on-year parcel volume growth of 35% during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday week. The performance contrasts with wider downturns in the retail market with Black Friday website traffic down 12% across the sector.[1]
201,529 items were despatched on behalf of over 200 omnichannel clients from the company's top-performing centres in the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands during the period. Order intake peaked on Black Friday, representing a 39% climb on last year, surpassing Cyber Monday's growth of 14%.
Exceptional export growth
The company's expertise in global logistics bolstered the British brands in its portfolio, with export sales seeing an exceptional 87% year-on-year rise. US, Germany and France were the top three parcel destinations, accounting for 59% of non-UK shipments.
Health and beauty lead the way
fulfilmentcrowd's data illustrates some interesting sectoral trends with like-for-like sales growing strongly in the beauty & cosmetics (+68%), health & supplements (+17%) and homewares (+17%) categories. This purchasing behaviour reinforces the so-called ‘lipstick effect', with consumers indulging in small luxury purchases but holding back on bigger ticket items.
Reflecting a general pattern for 2023, order volumes for clothing, footwear & accessories were significantly down (-19%) on the previous year.
Continued performance
Despite the broader economic pressures, fulfilmentcrowd's strong performance ensures it is performing ahead of its year-to-date forecast.
The company recently announced a 17% increase in revenue and 83% growth in EBITDA in its mid-year financials. Its focus on capitalising on international markets has been particularly successful, with a 55% uplift in export sales by the end of its last financial year (31st March 2023).
Lee Thompson, CEO of fulfilmentcrowd, commented: "Black Friday is a crucial moment in the retail calendar and it is fantastic to see our clients achieving high sales performance over the period. Their success is our success, and this year's record numbers reinforce our position as leaders in the fulfilment industry.
"The results also stand testament to our adaptive strategy, tech and commitment to excellence. Set against a wider downturn, they demonstrate our flexibility and ability to quickly respond to the evolving demands of omnichannel retailing."