Nexus Vehicle Rental has revealed that retailers and couriers have pre-booked additional vehicles well in advance of the peak Christmas season to ensure they cope with another year of unprecedented demand.

Nexus revealed the vast majority of its retail clients have already booked additional Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) for Christmas as fleets prepare for another record-breaking year for retail.

According to the daily rental company, it is becoming increasingly attractive to retailers looking to respond to dramatic seasonal trends, and Nexus’ access to over 500,000 vehicles at 2,000 locations means it has the capacity and reach to fulfil peak demand requests, even at very short notice. 

According to Nexus, the most popular vehicles for the forthcoming peak season are extra-long wheelbase (ELWB) vans including Mercedes Sprinters, and long wheelbase (LWB) vans such as Ford Transits, followed by car-derived vans (CDVs) including Ford Transit Connects.

The 2015 Christmas shopping period as a whole, defined as the eight weeks between 1 November and 26 December, saw £24.4 billion spent online; a 12% annual increase, and a record for the Index.

More demanding customer habits, with many now expecting next- or even same-day deliveries,  and increased online commerce, has placed greater pressure on couriers to provide the expected levels of service in recent years. 

David Brennan, chief executive officer at Nexus (pictured) said: “Following a record couple of years for retail sales, our customers and those within the courier industry are taking the necessary steps to ensure their fleets are ready to deal with peak demand.

Nexus reported a 29.1% year-on-year increase for van rentals in 2015 and it expects 2016 to be another record year due to the now annual retail sales frenzies of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and increasing online Christmas commerce and one day deliveries.