IMRG director of operations claims many companies have established new relationships with parcel delivery providers.

Many online retailers are using Royal Mail alternatives for their parcel delivery needs, an industry figure has claimed.

David Smith, director of operations at the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), states that the national postal strikes staged recently drove many firms into the arms of alternative parcel delivery providers, such as Parcel2Go.com.

While the Communication Workers Union and Royal Mail bosses agreed a peace deal until after Christmas, many of those companies who used alternative parcel delivery providers have stayed with them.

"Many had switched to alternative carriers during the strike and have not switched back," Mr Smith claims.

He adds that online retail remains in rude health, with a recent study from e-Digital Research, conducted on behalf of the IMRG, showing that 93 per cent plan to buy gifts via the internet this Christmas.

The survey found that increasing numbers of consumers are embracing online retail, with 71 per cent prepared to do at least half of their shopping in this way.

Posted by Mark Moore

Article Added: 01/12/2009 09:35:36