A tidal wave of holiday gifts is flooding Nordic logistics centers. Sorting terminals are operating at maximum capacity. This follows a major online shopping period known as Black Week. The surge is testing the limits of delivery networks across Norway and Sweden.
At a 350-meter-long terminal in Trondheim, hundreds of packages move on conveyor belts every minute. The facility is packed with parcels, people, and forklifts. Terminal manager Leif Østvang described the scene. He said these are the busiest and most exciting days of the entire year. The terminal handles double its usual volume. The company has increased staffing by 20 percent to manage the load. It also expanded terminal capacity by 10 percent through longer shifts and weekend operations.
Industry experts point to a lasting shift in consumer behavior. Many people learned to shop online during recent global events. That habit has firmly taken root. Most packages currently in the system are likely Christmas gifts. Norwegian consumers spent 2.5 billion kroner during last year's Black Friday sales. Estimates suggest total spending for November and December could reach 150 billion kroner this season.
Delivery firm PostNord reports a 30 percent year-over-year increase in package volume. Another logistics provider, Helt Hjem, is handling around 1 million parcels during this peak period. Its e-commerce director, Daniel Kongstvedt, notes the enduring power of Black Week. He said consumers remain engaged despite growing skepticism about fluctuating deals. Delivery numbers and growth confirm the period's strong impact.
A new trend is adding complexity to the logistics challenge. Social media influencers are driving massive, unpredictable sales volumes. Kongstvedt highlighted one example. Influencer Sara Emilie Tandberg's brand sold goods worth 7 million kroner in a single four-hour live shopping campaign. These influencer-led campaigns create sudden, concentrated spikes in orders. Large volumes can shift in a matter of minutes. This is far less predictable than traditional online retail patterns.
Logistics companies are urging consumers to help ease the bottleneck. A spokesperson for PostNord made a direct appeal. He asked all consumers to collect their packages as quickly as possible. Prompt collection frees up capacity at pickup points. This prevents neighbors or family members from having to retrieve parcels from alternate locations due to full lockers or pickup stations.
The current package avalanche reveals a key truth about the Nordic digital economy. Consumer adoption of e-commerce has outpaced the physical infrastructure needed to support it. The system is straining under seasonal peaks. This year's volumes are not an anomaly. They represent the new normal for the holiday season. Logistics firms are scrambling to adapt with more staff and extended hours. The real test will be whether these incremental changes can handle even larger volumes next year. The efficiency of gift delivery has become a quiet benchmark for the region's digital transformation success.