Bpost Sees 50,000 Extra Packages Per Day as Holiday Pay Drives Online Shopping Surge
Belgian postal company Bpost is processing approximately 50,000 additional packages per day — a roughly 10% increase over its normal daily volume of half a million parcels. The surge, which also affects competitor PostNL, comes at a delicate moment for the company, arriving just one day after a new collective labor agreement was reached following weeks of strikes.
The Holiday Pay Effect
The primary driver behind the package boom is the annual payment of holiday pay (“vakantiegeld”) to Belgian workers in May and June. According to Bpost spokesperson Mathieu Goedefroy, the pattern is predictable and temporary. “This is a peak we see every year and it usually lasts one or two weeks,” Goedefroy said. “This is likely due to the fact that people receive their holiday pay around this time and spend it through web shops.”
PostNL, the Dutch postal company that also operates extensively in Belgium, reports an even sharper increase. Spokesperson Lies Florentie confirmed that the company is seeing 10 to 15 percent more packages than normal. “This is, after the year-end period, even the second biggest peak of the year,” Florentie said.
Secondary Factors
Beyond holiday pay, several other factors are contributing to the surge. Florentie noted that good weather is likely playing a role, with consumers ordering summer items such as sandals and barbecue supplies. The recent long weekends in Belgium have also boosted online shopping, as people have more leisure time to browse and purchase.
Bpost processes around 500,000 packages on a normal day, though this figure rises to over 800,000 per day during the Christmas and New Year peak. The current 50,000-per-day increase, while significant, remains well within the company’s operational capacity.
No Expected Delivery Delays
Despite the increased volume, both Bpost and PostNL have assured customers that there will be no delivery delays. Goedefroy emphasized that the company uses forecasting systems to predict volumes in consultation with web shops. “This increase is certainly not an insurmountable extra workload for us,” he said. “Consumers will certainly not have to wait longer for their package.”
PostNL echoed this confidence, stating that it works closely with its web shop clients to estimate order volumes and prepare accordingly.
A Delicate Labor Context
The package surge arrives at a critical juncture for Bpost. The company has been navigating five weeks of strikes by its 16,000 postal workers, who opposed plans to shift their start times from early morning to mid-morning so they could also deliver packages during their routes. The strikes cost Bpost an estimated €15 million in operating profit, according to parent company Bnode’s Q1 2026 results.
On 28 May 2026, Bpost management and unions reached a new collective labor agreement (CAO) covering 2026-2027. The agreement provides job security guarantees, protection against naked dismissals, higher meal vouchers (from €8 to €10), a one-time bonus, and arrangements for internal re-employment and end-of-career provisions. However, unions remain opposed to the later start times and have warned of potential continued social tensions.
Broader Implications
The package surge serves as a real-time economic indicator, reflecting consumer spending patterns tied to holiday pay disbursements. It also highlights the continued structural shift toward online shopping in Belgium, driven by both domestic and international e-commerce platforms. The entry of TikTok Shop in Belgium in June 2026 and the recent launch of Chinese web shop Joybuy are expected to further boost parcel volumes.
Bpost’s ability to handle the increased volume demonstrates operational resilience despite internal tensions. The company is also expanding its network of parcel lockers, aiming for 2,500 by end of 2025, with capacity tripling from 50,000 to 150,000 parcels.
What to Watch
The key question is whether the new CAO will hold or whether renewed labor action could affect the summer peak. With TikTok Shop launching in June and other Chinese e-commerce platforms expanding their presence, Bpost’s volumes are likely to continue growing — testing both its operational capacity and its fragile labor peace.