THIS year’s peak shipping season may be more of a plateau, said industry players, as macroeconomic conditions limit retail spending and retailers continue to hold excess inventory.

“We don’t expect a classical peak-season surge in the fourth quarter, even though we foresee market improvements in the next few months,” said Niki Frank, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding Asia-Pacific.

“Since we are not ruling out a modest increase in demand during the run-up to the turn-of-year holidays, shippers should still be mindful and be prepared to cope with larger volumes towards the end of the year.”