“Retailers and logistics providers must work closely together this Black Friday,” advised Gethin Roberts, Managing Director of leading driving recruitment company Drivers Direct.

“Black Friday is changing. Where it was once a one-day sale with queues of shoppers scrambling to get the best deals in store, now we have days of online sales where customers can simply click to fill their baskets – and await a delivery driver to bring their goods to their front door.”

“More and more people are going online to get the best Black Friday deals rather than braving the in-store experience – IMRG have stated that £1.4 billion was spent last year in online sales and this trend is only set to increase. This rise in online deal shopping comes hand in hand with an increased pressure on the limited number of our nation’s professional drivers to deliver these purchases.”

“Therefore, it is imperative that retailers work closely with their logistics providers in order to ensure a smooth delivery of Black Friday goods and manage expectations. It is also essential that retailers manage the delivery expectations of their customers during this time – if we all work together tensions will be eased across all parties and customers will feel that their requirements have been met,” he concluded.

Established in 2002, Drivers Direct covers all driver classes, from chauffeurs and forklift driver’s right through to LGV Class 1 and 2 drivers, and supplies more than 1,100 drivers a week to clients from across the public and private sectors. The company currently has a network of 22 branches across the UK.