‘Peak Christmas panic’ expected earlier this year
According to analysis from courier service Gophr, the height of Christmas panic will hit the nation on the Friday before the big day (20 December), two days earlier than last year’s peak of the 22 December.
The story, which ran in leading retail magazine Talking Retail earlier this week, said the ‘National Day of Christmas Panic’, will represent the height of Christmas chaos and panic in the UK due to several factors including:
There is no availability for Christmas delivery slots from the 20 December for several UK major supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Morrisons.
Planned engineering works to the UK National Rail services starting on December 21st means many are frantically trying to get home for Christmas on the 20th as a result.
In 2023, 16.1 million cars were reported to hit the roads in the UK on the final Friday before Christmas, commonly known as “Frantic Friday.” This year, that Friday falls on the 20th of December.
Gophr itself is expecting more than a 56% increase in the number of delivery journeys it will make on Friday 20 December (vs daily average), marking the last realistic day for delivery before Christmas Day (they obviously don't know florists!!)
Those who’ve left it too late will have to brave the shops on Super Saturday (21 December) in order to get those last-minute Christmas gifts in person.
Seb Robert, founder and CEO of Gophr, commented: “Every year, we tell ourselves we won’t leave Christmas preparations to the last minute, but every year, we don’t listen.
“It’s no surprise to see that peak Christmas panic sets in on the final Friday before Christmas, when grocery delivery slots are scarce, travel routes are at their busiest, delivery options are quickly running out, and everyone begins to hit the high street.”
To determine the ‘National Day of Christmas Panic’ for 2024, Gophr’s analysts examined data such as grocery delivery slots from major UK supermarkets, train timetables, historical RAC and AA travel patterns for the festive season, and Gophr’s own delivery records.
