NEW YORK — FedEx Corp. said Monday it expects to ship more packages this holiday season than ever before. The jump will be driven by cheaper packages it moves through a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service.
The package-delivery company expects to handle 17 million packages on its busiest day, which this year is projected to fall on Dec. 12. That’s 10 percent more than its busiest day last year.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, FedEx Corp. expects more than 260 million shipments, a 12 percent increase from 2010.
Investors cheered the optimistic forecast, a month after FedEx Corp. said shoppers were pulling back on spending. FedEx shares rose $2.18, or 2.8 percent, to $81.52 Monday.
The number of shipments FedEx handles at this time of year has risen steadily through the recession as holiday shoppers skip stores and have gifts shipped after buying them online. The growth is also due in large part to its SmartPost service with the Postal Service. SmartPost parcels, mostly from online and catalog retailers, move through FedEx’s network but are delivered by a postal worker. The Associated Press
