Peak has shifted into high gear says the Peak Bulletin from GFS. After weeks of cautious spending, shoppers are finally moving — and delivery performance is now under more pressure than at any point this season.
The next 10 days will determine who wins Cyber Week, and who gets buried under backlogs, WISMO and missed promises.
UK shoppers are in full bargain-hunt mode, but they’re buying on their terms. October 2025 retail sales fell 1.1% as consumers held back for Black Friday value. Now, they’re spending fast, mostly on mobile and choosing retailers who show clear delivery cut-offs, reliable timelines and simple returns. Deal fatigue is real.
GFS experienced substantial volume growth in the lead-up to Black Friday, with a notable increase in Week 48 shipments compared with Week 47.
All carriers operated full weekend delivery schedules, with several reporting record parcel volumes over the Cyber Weekend period. The focus has been to clear as much volume as possible in readiness for a week of similar if not slightly higher volume this week.
However, carrier networks and driver resources are operating close to full capacity, any volume spike now risks delays. Overall service performance has remained strong. However, some localised delays have occurred in areas recently affected by severe weather and in regions experiencing ongoing driver recruitment challenges.
You can read the full GFS Peak Bulletin Issue 3 here.
