"Black Friday is arguably the most dynamic time of the year for the e-commerce industry, and for us, a true test of our ability to ensure efficient deliveries. We anticipate significant volumes that will bring a high degree of complexity and we are prepared to do our utmost to ensure that every parcel reaches its destination in the shortest possible time. This year, we have invested substantially in expanding our out-of-home network and increasing our operational capacity to contribute to the success of our e-commerce partners. We stand by our customers in the region during this intense period, opening up new opportunities for them to grow beyond their national borders," said Lucian Baltaru, CEO, Sameday Group.
In the cross-border deliveries segment, Sameday anticipates an accelerated growth in the number of parcels, especially on the Romania-Bulgaria and Romania-Hungary routes, reflecting the growing interest of Romanian online shops in expanding sales across borders. The company estimates that it will deliver over half a million parcels through the cross-border service during this period, thus strengthening the support offered to e-commerce partners in their growth in the regional markets.
On Black Friday, over 65% of Romanians will choose easybox delivery
According to the latest market research conducted this month by Sameday, more than 65% of urban consumers who plan to order online during the Black Friday campaign will choose Easybox delivery. In addition, the research shows that this type of delivery, which offers a high degree of flexibility, has become an essential criterion in the purchase decision, with 7 out of 10 Romanians stating that the Easybox delivery option influences their choice of online store where they shop. The survey also confirms the increased popularity of the service, with 95% of Romanians in urban areas saying they have used Easybox at least once to receive or send a parcel.
In the first 9 months of the year, more than 84% of online shops in the Sameday ecosystem delivered at least one parcel to Easybox, demonstrating that this delivery option has become a standard for online retailers looking to stay relevant to consumers. Between January-September, Sameday delivered more than 36 million parcels to Easybox, up 50% year-on-year.
In Romania, Sameday estimates that more than 1.6 million parcels will be delivered to Easybox in the first days of the Black Friday campaign, with a daily average of around 330,000 parcels.
Easybox regional network - 40% growth in 2024
Today, Sameday's Easybox regional Easybox network has reached approximately 7,000 units, up 40% from last year. The expansion of the network has been supported by significant investments of more than €30 million to develop the out-of-home infrastructure. In Romania, the Easybox network now numbers 4,900 lockers, up 1,000 units on last year. In Bulgaria, the network has surpassed 900 units, an increase of 122% compared to last year, and in Hungary, the number of Easybox lockers has reached 1,100 units.
In parallel with the expansion of the Easybox network, Sameday has developed a new shop-in-shop delivery service. The new service, Sameday point, complements the Easybox delivery experience and provides additional capacity to handle large volumes in areas where lockers are in frequent demand, with the network now numbering 750 points regionally. In Bulgaria, as part of its strategy to expand its out-of-home network, SAMEDAY has partnered with Bulgarian Post, which will allow consumers in the neighboring country to pick up their mail directly from postal units, starting Black Friday.
New sortation systems added to the workflow
In order to efficiently handle the high volumes of Black Friday deliveries, Sameday Group has made significant investments this year to increase its operational capacity in all three countries where it operates. In Romania, six new automated sorting systems have been integrated into the operational workflow, which can process over 38,000 parcels per hour, bringing the total sorting capacity in the three hubs in the country and in the agencies to over 100,000 parcels per hour. Thus, one automated sorting system has been implemented in the Central Sameday hub and two others have been installed in agencies serving the center of the country. In order to optimize sorting processes in the western area, three such automated sorting systems were also installed in agencies in Cluj and Timișoara.
Significant investments were also directed this year to Bulgaria and Hungary, resulting in an increase in sorting capacity in each country of up to 60% compared to last year. The total investment planned by the Sameday group for 2024 is more than €60 million.
In Romania, Sameday has expanded its team of couriers and increased its hub staff by almost 60% compared to normal periods in order to handle the high volume of orders during peak periods. In addition, the number of trucks dedicated to the transportation of parcels between hubs and agencies has increased from 230 to almost 400, and warehouse working hours have been extended to efficiently support the high flows.
This year, during the Black Friday campaign, parcels will be kept in Easybox for up to 36 hours after loading. Over 90% of the products ordered this year for Black Friday will reach the recipient within 24 - 48 hours from the time they arrive in the Sameday network.
The market research conducted by Sameday was conducted between October 4 and October 22, 2024, using the CAWI method on a nationally representative sample of 800 consumers, urban population ordering online. The margin of error is +/- 3% at a 95% confidence level.
Sameday is the regional courier company that has seen the most spectacular growth in recent years and is now one of the leading players in its market segment. With 17 years of experience on the Romanian market, a team of over 5,000 employees and partners and an integrated digital infrastructure, the company is present in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, offering both door-to-door delivery services and delivery in approximately 7,000 easybox lockers.
