The surge in internet shopping has has led to big rises in traffic for delivery operators.
Hermes saw its deliveries in December rise 40 per cent on last year to about 15 million items as a result in the surge in internet shopping.
The record day was 1st December when it delivered 710,000 parcels, 30 per cent up on the 2010 peak day. It said the record day was more than a week earlier than last year as consumers looked to avoid the disruptions of the previous year caused by the widespread snow across the UK.
* A quarter of pre-Christmas online deliveries took place in the four days up to 22nd December, according to statistics from Shutl, which offers online shoppers the ability to receive orders in as little as 90 minutes.
Internet start-up Shutl serves retailers across all product categories, with clients ranging from Argos to Laithwaites Wine and Karen Millen.
It found that shoppers bought two hours later in the day versus 2010, with a seven-fold increase in the number of insomniacs placing online orders between midnight and 3am.
The company said that the number of shoppers using its services was 25 times greater in 2011 that 2010.
“It has been a merry Christmas for Shutl, the retailers we serve and our courier partners. We take it as an encouraging sign for 2012 that so many people preferred to end 2011 shopping rather than sleeping,” said Tom Allason, founder and chief executive.