Dive Brief:

• FedEx expects December's three Mondays to drive total delivery numbers up to 380 million to 400 million packages this year, USA Today reported.
• The company expects to move 26 million packages each December Monday, double the usual amount thanks to e-commerce shipping of weekend purchases. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts an 8% to 12% e-commerce increase in 2017, a growth that would more than double all of retail's expected growth this year. 
• FedEx’s 2017 numbers represent between 20% to 26% more deliveries over 2015, when the peak forecast was 317 million shipments between Black Friday and Christmas Eve.

Dive Insight:

Is 2017 primed to be the biggest delivery year yet? All signs point to yes.

Peak season began early this year, with many warehouse, logistics, and delivery sources securing holiday hiring in August. The numbers reflect that: XPO added 6,000-plus new workers; UPS, 95,000. If their predictions are anywhere near accurate, they'll need at least that many, with UPS envisioning a delivery total of 750 million  packages in just 25 days. 

The FedEx 2017 strategy is all about concentration over expansion. The company overview cites the 3PL's decision to winnow its accounts to only those most profitable, as well as grow its roster of small to medium customers. Rather than challenge UPS' ongoing relationship with Amazon, FedEx appears to prefer a wider reach of clientele less likely to usurp it — or at least appear to be planning as much. Further, though the company's European expansion via TNT suffered greatly in the Nyetya attack, the likelihood of a successful rebuild, with insurance, is strong.