Throughout July, August and September this year, the Olympics are in town. In light of this we are likely to experience severe congestion in a number of areas in and around London and across the country which will effect deliveries of your glue guns, glue sticks and glue dot orders!
There are many statistics associated with both events that help explain the scale of the congestion:
24 Olympic venues across London
800,000 spectators on peak day
10,500 athletes
9,000,000 tickets sold
21,000 press people in attendance
3,000,000 additional transport trips on the busiest day
Deliveries will be effected during the event period and restrictions will apply. Deliveries maybe subject to security checks.
We have a detailed plan to ensure that deliveries are successful throughout the Olympic period. However, please note that we will be unable to access certain ‘lockdown venues’, since they will be closed to all general traffic. All deliveries made to ‘lockdown venues’ will be security screened and delivered by UPS. These parcel deliveries will incur a surcharge of £25 per parcel – £20 of which is a fixed security surcharge and £5 of which is a parcel delivery charge. The parcel delivery charge operates on a sliding scale for multi-parcel consignments. These are the rates charged by UPS, and will be additional to any current carriage charges which may apply.
Outside of the ‘lockdown venues’ we will continue to deliver to the best of the drivers ability, but delays will be unavoidable. We will also have to suspend all TIME DELIVERIES to the Olympic congestion zone areas. Drivers will be provided with assistants who will make the final delivery on foot (this will not apply to ‘lockdown venues’) and where necessary introducing early AM deliveries and late PM deliveries.
Some of our competitors will be introducing an Olympic surcharge for each consignment delivered into postcode areas where there is extended disruption within the Olympic congestion zone. We are pleased to confirm that we will not be implementing any Olympic Surcharges excluding lockdown zones, delays will be inevitable, please be patience.
- Try and plan ahead and pre-order prior to the events starting.
- If possible send the shipment to an alternative address outside of the Olympic congestion zone during the period of disruption.
Timeline of events
19 May to 27 July
Torch Relay takes place throughout UK
Throughout June
Simulation of new routes and delivery schedules to further understand the impact on our deliveries and collections
Mid-June to mid-September
Period of likely disruption to delivery services
13 July
Olympic Village opens
27 July to 12 August
Olympic Games
3 August
Expected to be the busiest day, with all venues active
13 August to 28 August
Transition period with certain areas still locked down
29 August to 9 September
Paralympic Games
The Olympics coming to town will effect parcel and pallet deliveries. Please check with our sales office on 0161 627 1001 to whether your area is effected by the Olympics. However, we do not envisage there being any impact on international shipments. We will advise should this change.
