UPS same-day unit roadie says delivery volume doubled last month

Roadie, the same-day delivery startup that United Parcel Service Inc. acquired in October, said its package volume more than doubled in November from a year earlier as shoppers heeded the call to make holiday purchases early.

Deliveries so far in December have increased from last year, but the company declined to provide details. Roadie has added new customers including, Office Depot Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and is delivering more large items, said Marc Gorlin, Roadie’s founder and chief executive officer.  

“The retailers just have a stronger ground game this year,” Gorlin said in an interview. “People are shopping earlier and retailers made it easier by spreading out the sales events.”

Last-mile delivery has run smoother this year than in 2020, when couriers struggled to keep capacity in line with retailer demand. Supply-chain disruptions this year have prompted retailers to place inventory closer to consumers, easing home delivery, Gorlin said.

Still, there’s likely to be a demand surge at the end of the month with last-minute gifts, said Gorlin, whose company dispatches gig drivers in areas covering about 90% of U.S. homes. Roadie operates as a separate unit though UPS, an early investor, completed its acquisition in October.