Industry comment about Christmas delivery problems
Greg LeTocq, founder of digital gift card website and app, Giftcloud, said: “It’s awful to hear that retailers are already struggling to manage customer demand and missing the deadlines promised to their shoppers. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are intended to kick-start Christmas shopping in the UK, so it’s ridiculous to think that some orders made on what should be the first Christmas shopping weekend for many people actually won’t arrive in time for the big day. We are starting off December with many stores unable to deliver within a month’s timeframe; it’s simply not good enough.
“If stores don’t have the facility to manage the promotions, they shouldn’t run them; it’s a case of greed and carelessness when things spiral so drastically out of control. Unfortunately, this should prove to be a warning for many shoppers who have been let down. Christmas shopping can be stressful enough with all the bustling crowds and often empty shelves, without this added worry as well. It’s time retailers stepped up to the plate; Christmas comes round every year, so they should be prepared that come snow, rain or shine, measures are in place to ensure their customers get what they pay for and these items are delivered on time.
“A word of warning for the shoppers out there; look into alternative options. Heed this warning and find out what you can do if you get stuck, either through struggles for inspiration and if you’ve been let down by lost items, long delivery times, empty shelves, sharp elbows, or any other kind of Christmas obstacle! The season should be fun, but it has descended into mad dashes, mile long queues and last minute crises! It doesn’t have to be this way.”