Here we go again…
As we roll into the end of 2025, the peak shopping season is just around the corner, and you know what that means: things are about to get seriously busy.
Shoppers are waiting for the big deals, especially around Black Friday and Christmas, which means more people ordering online.
And when the orders stack up, it’s the couriers and delivery drivers who keep everything moving.
Why is delivery demand increasing?
Black Friday, which falls on Friday 28th November this year, is considered by consumers as one of the best times to shop.
Black Friday spending in the UK surged in 2024, reaching an estimated £7.1 billion.
This is a 37% increase from 2023’s figure of £5.2 billion1, making it the biggest online shopping day of the year.
The average per-person spend rose from £221 to £2581.
More online shopping means more courier opportunities
There’s been a big jump in demand for drivers this year, and it’s not hard to see why – online shopping is still growing, with increases, from 2024 to 2025,2 driven by the desire to get wider discounts, access more products and avoid the crowds!
Well, someone’s got to get all those parcels to doorsteps!
This means courier services and delivery drivers will be busier than ever to make sure parcels are delivered in time for Christmas.
More parcels = more drivers needed.
This has led to some solid growth in both work opportunities and pay across the UK3.
With online shopping and same-day deliveries still booming, there are loads of new jobs popping up, companies are all fighting to get drivers on board, and pay rates are climbing too.
Why Christmas is a great time to become a courier driver
For the end-of-year 2025 rush in the UK, courier and parcel delivery demand is expected to be exceptionally high.
Last year in 2024, there were around 1.29 billion parcel deliveries between October and December, representing an 11% increase over 2023.
Ever thought about becoming a delivery driver? Now is the ideal time to start!
Not only can you pick hours to suit you and make some extra cash around Christmas, but being your own boss has its perks too.
Business Choice Direct’s Courier Insurance team have answered some common questions below.
When is the best time to start?
Don’t delay and sign up today!
There is no better time to sign up as a courier driver than before the busiest part of the year.
Big sales have kicked off early this year.
Retailers aren’t waiting for Black Friday anymore; they’re rolling out autumn and pre-Christmas deals ahead of time to grab shoppers’ attention and clear stock.
Amazon, John Lewis, Dyson and the rest already have offers live5, so expect parcels to start picking up fast, even before the big sales weekends hit.
Who can become a courier driver?
If you have a valid driving licence and are over the age of 21, then becoming a self-employed courier driver could be the perfect role for you.
It’s a popular career move for many drivers in the UK.
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, online shopping had increased dramatically, and parcel delivery firms needed a lot more help to cope with this demand.
Hermes invested £100 million to create more than 10,500 new jobs in the UK, including 9,000 self-employed couriers6.
How to survive the Christmas delivery rush?
Couriers often see their workloads increasing two, even three-fold over the festive period.
This can mean long hours to make sure all parcels are delivered and that customers are happy.
A bigger workload can seem daunting but with proper planning you will survive the busiest time of the year.
Here are our top tips to help:
- Plan your routes in advance so you have your route planned out ready to start
- Use the available online tools and websites to plan delivery routes
- Always have a back-up plan – the roads are extremely busy during the festive season so a back-up plan means you’re prepared with alternative routes, should you need it
- Spreadsheets – keeping a spreadsheet or list to tick off deliveries as you go will help you keep on track of your day
- Consider becoming a member of a courier platform such as Courier Exchange, or City Sprint
How can BCD help?
Business Choice Direct understands that whether you are changing or starting a career to become a courier driver, it can be a huge life change.
Our Courier Insurance team are highly trained to offer quality service and expert advice on products and the market.
We are here to support you through the first 30 days of being a courier and beyond.
We can provide bespoke rates and have access to a vast range of insurers in the market to enable us to give you the optimum quote. We can provide cover for UK, ROI, and European usage.
We can also provide goods in transit insurance and public liability insurance cover alongside. Our team will quote you on all this together to reduce hassle, time, and paperwork.
1https://cfotech.co.uk/story/black-friday-2024-sees-3-1-growth-as-bounce-rates-increase
2 https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/bulletins/retailsales/august2025
3 https://www.onrec.com/news/statistics/statistics-britains-logistics-sector-booms-as-jobs-9-in-2025
3https://newsroom.fedex.com/newsroom/europe-english/uk-parcel-deliveries-to-hit-1-29-bn-this-festive-season-making-the-uk-parcel-market-the-busiest-in-europe
4 https://logistics.org.uk/files/executive-membership/reports/001292-seu-q1-2025-em
5 https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/consumer-advice/g60754486/best-amazon-prime-day-deals-2025/
6https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-hermes-delivers-10-500-jobs-to-meet-stay-at-home-shopping-demand-12032689