Yamato Transport Co., a major parcel delivery service provider in Japan, said Friday the number of items it delivered in October hit a record for the month at 168.42 million on robust demand for online shopping amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 20.7% year-on-year increase in the delivery figures was the largest since 2000, according to the company.
Another factor behind the sharp increase was a significant drop in the number of delivered parcels in October last year, due to the consumption tax hike from 8% to 10% implemented that month.
The previous record for year-on-year increase in the delivery figures over the past 20 years was a 19.8% rise logged in March 2014, a month before the consumption tax rate was raised from 5% to 8%.