What's the news?
Online shopping, which is supposed to save us all from the misery of traffic jams and over-full car parks, seems to be having an effect of its own on road traffic. According to figures from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, there is a noticeable spike upwards in the rental numbers for vans and small commercial vehicles, which is being attributed to the effects of 'Black Friday' and 'Cyber Monday.'
Black Friday began as an American tradition, with shops and retailers offering significant discounts for shoppers heading to stores on the day after Thanksgiving. The following Monday, Cyber Monday, became a more recent tradition as online shops, notably Amazon, began offering even bigger discounts after the weekend, and its these sales that Enterprise reckons is causing the extra demand for vans. Well, someone has to deliver all those parcels...
According to Shane Kelly, Head of Van Rentals at Enterprise Rent-A-Car: "In the past few years, we have seen an increase in our van rental business that coincides with Black Friday / Cyber Monday. Without a doubt, companies are using rentals as a way of dealing with the spike in orders so that they can meet the increased delivery needs of their customers."
Shane's advice for any companies anticipating a higher level of sales over the next week or so is: "Get your van rental request in early, companies that book ahead of time rather than leaving it to the last minute can make good savings. Companies love the flexibility of short-term rentals. You only use it when it is needed and with deals as low as €59 per day for a van or €149 for a weekend, it is the ideal option."