Even before the global pandemic, increasing direct shipment demands were changing the shipping and packaging industry. However, with the heightened growth of e-commerce directly attributed to COVID-19, the shipping industry is processing and delivering an ever-increasing volume of heavier, bulkier, and more valuable packages—including food, beverages, and electronics—directly to the doorsteps of consumers and businesses.

In fact, e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2020 accounted for 16% of total retail sales, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a 44% increase from the same time period last year.¹ It has been projected that all e-commerce sales would reach over $700 billion by the end of 2020.²