Tens of thousands of families have been left in a panic that gifts bought online will not arrive in time for Christmas. Couriers delivering goods for major retailers including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and Waterstones were last night said to be in chaos as they struggled to deal with huge backlogs. They blamed an unprecedented surge in online shopping over the past fortnight. Scroll down for video . Warning: M&S admitted deliveries were taking up to four days longer than usual as it tries to get on top of a massive backlog . The mayhem has sparked warnings that those who have not yet done their Christmas shopping should consider hitting the high street this weekend rather than doing it online. M&S admitted deliveries were taking up to four days longer than usual as it tries to get on top of a massive backlog. It warned that orders placed tomorrow may not arrive until December 23 and said that delivery times were already up to nine days instead of the usual five. High street stores are set to enjoy bumper sales today as shoppers try to grab a festive bargain and avoid the chaos of online order deliveries. Around £40billion of sales are expected in the run-up to Christmas – and today is predicted to be one of the busiest days, on what some have dubbed White Saturday. The continuing discounts are thought to be a key factor, while the delivery problems for online orders mean many shoppers are likely to brave the cold and pick up presents the old-fashioned way to make sure they have them in time for Christmas. In fact, industry experts said the weather itself could well be a factor in the sales surge, despite the Met Office issuing an ice warning to many areas. Matthew Hopkinson, of retail analysts the Local Data Company, said people shop on the high street for the ‘experience’, adding: ‘The colder weather makes people feel more festive.’ Meanwhile, delivery firms were accused of ‘appalling’ customer service as shoppers complained of two-week delays, lost goods and parcels left behind dustbins, under bushes or even with strangers by over-worked couriers. Yodel, the UK’s largest delivery company after Royal Mail, is unable to collect parcels from retailers this weekend as it is already three days behind on existing orders. It is desperately trying to clear the thousands of gifts already piled up in warehouses, with some couriers even delivering parcels in the middle of the night. The company – employed by a string of retailers including Amazon, Boots, Argos, Waterstones and Tesco Direct – said it will not resume normal collections until Monday at the earliest. But analysts pointed out that by this time thousands more orders will have been placed on what is one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year, sparking fears the situation could get worse. Shoppers are also complaining of delays with CityLink, which delivers parcels for Mothercare and John Lewis, among dozens of others. Those affected included Les Dennis who branded the courier’s service ‘appalling’ on Twitter, while broadcaster Danny Baker complained about his Amazon delivery with CityLink, tweeting: ‘Go to actual shops kids.’ Shoppers flooded social networking sites with stories of delayed Christmas presents, including children’s teddies, clothes and toys, which they feared would not arrive before Christmas. Struggling: Courier firm Yodel, which makes deliveries for the likes of Tesco, Argos and Amazon, is unable to collect parcels from retailers this weekend as it is already three days behind on existing orders . Mayhem: John Lewis and Waterstone's deliveries could also be delayed with couriers blaming an unprecedented surge in online shopping over the past fortnight . Hermes, which delivers for retailers such as ASOS and Zara, tried to appease annoyed customers, writing on Twitter that it was ‘working flat out to reply to your tweets’. The firm suffered a fire at its Warrington warehouse last week, causing two-day delays. Couriers for Yodel are paid as little as 50p per delivery and must deliver up to 160 parcels a day, it is claimed. Yodel, voted the worst parcel service in the UK, delivers for firms from Amazon and Waterstones to Boots and Argos. But complaints have stacked up in the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are claims of items left in bushes, in bins or with unknown neighbours, and of deliveries at night. Now stories have emerged of drivers paid just a few pence per parcel. On an online forum where staff rate employers, a man in Nottingham said he was offered the equivalent of 50p a parcel. He said: ‘How they expect you to earn even a half decent wage is beyond me.’ He worked out that by delivering one parcel every six to eight minutes, he would earn £2.50 an hour after deducting petrol, which seasonal couriers must buy. Job ads for seasonal drivers say they work ‘at some pace’, warning: ‘It’s no mean feat.’ A Scottish driver, who spent seven years at Yodel until 2012, said: ‘December is always the worst time. Some workers were out until 10pm. The workers had a target . . . it ranged from 110-160 parcels a day. You couldn’t bring back more than 2 per cent. Guys were coming back with 20 to 30 parcels saying they couldn’t do it. A lot of the workers were off with stress.’ Customers were just as unhappy. Twitter user ‘Yodelhell’ said: ‘All we want is our packages delivered intact. Is it too much to ask?’ Rachel Webber said her order showed she missed a delivery at 1am. She said: ‘I am going to assume I was asleep.’ Yodel said deliveries should be no later than 9pm. A spokesman said many workers had a regular salary but some were self-employed and paid per delivery. Collect+, which allows people to collect their goods from supermarkets and petrol stations, also appeared to be overwhelmed, warning of three-day delays. Delivery firms blamed the chaos on a massive increase in online shopping, fuelled by record sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday two weeks ago. These annual events originated in the US, but have soared in popularity in the UK in recent years. An estimated £810million was spent online on Black Friday which was 50 per cent higher than expected. This was followed by Cyber Monday three days later and then Manic Monday a week later, with a further £666million spent. Retail expert Kate Jones, of Mash Strategy, said: ‘You’ve bought and paid for it, but this year there is no guarantee you’ll receive it in time for Christmas … If you haven’t bought gifts for your loved ones yet then you may be better off hitting the high street.’ Waterstones responded to angry customers yesterday by tweeting that ‘Yodel are currently handling more parcels than they expected, so some deliveries are taking longer than we would like’. On its website, Yodel explained: ‘We spent months planning for Christmas, but even with our experience and those of our clients we underestimated how massive the spikes would be. (We were not alone!) The whole of the retail supply chain has felt the impact. ‘Retailer websites have been crashing, there have been backlogs in distribution centres and all parcel delivery companies have felt the strain.’ Twitter user Frankiebee wrote: ‘Very unhappy with recent JL purchases. Half never arrived and they didn’t call me back when they said they would.’ A John Lewis spokeswoman said: 'All John Lewis delivery systems are working as normal. Customers can shop with confidence and choose the delivery service that best suits their needs. 'Yodel provide the Collect+ delivery service to local newsagents which represents a very small proportion of John Lewis deliveries. 'For any customer orders held at Yodel sites John Lewis has arranged alternative transportation and are currently not taking further orders for this delivery method.' An M&S spokesman said delays meant its in-store Click & Collect service was being offered within two days instead of one. Yesterday, Tesco came under fire after dozens of customers received their orders late. But a spokesman for the firm said: ‘We don’t anticipate any further delays before Christmas.’ Amazon whose Swansea, Wales, warehouse is pictured above, recently announced that their delivery service had been delayed by 'the unprecedented number of orders received during Black Friday Deals Week' Delivery firms blamed the chaos on a massive increase in online shopping, fuelled by record sales on Black Friday two weeks ago. pictured, customers shove eachother at Black Friday Sales in Asda, Wembley . Further pressure was added on transport services by another £666million being spent on Manic Monday .
Couriers blamed massive surge in online shopping over past fortnight .
Mayhem sparked warnings for people to shop on high street, not online .
M&S admitted deliveries were taking up to four days longer than usual .
Warned that orders placed tomorrow may not arrive until December 23 .
Tens of thousands of families have been left in a panic that gifts bought online will not arrive in time for Christmas. Couriers delivering goods for major retailers including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and Waterstones were last night said to be in chaos as they struggled to deal with huge backlogs. They blamed an unprecedented surge in online shopping over the past fortnight. Scroll down for video . Warning: M&S admitted deliveries were taking up to four days longer than usual as it tries to get on top of a massive backlog . The mayhem has sparked warnings that those who have not yet done their Christmas shopping should consider hitting the high street this weekend rather than doing it online. M&S admitted deliveries were taking up to four days longer than usual as it tries to get on top of a massive backlog. It warned that orders placed tomorrow may not arrive until December 23 and said that delivery times were already up to nine days instead of the usual five. High street stores are set to enjoy bumper sales today as shoppers try to grab a festive bargain and avoid the chaos of online order deliveries. Around £40billion of sales are expected in the run-up to Christmas – and today is predicted to be one of the busiest days, on what some have dubbed White Saturday. The continuing discounts are thought to be a key factor, while the delivery problems for online orders mean many shoppers are likely to brave the cold and pick up presents the old-fashioned way to make sure they have them in time for Christmas. In fact, industry experts said the weather itself could well be a factor in the sales surge, despite the Met Office issuing an ice warning to many areas. Matthew Hopkinson, of retail analysts the Local Data Company, said people shop on the high street for the ‘experience’, adding: ‘The colder weather makes people feel more festive.’ Meanwhile, delivery firms were accused of ‘appalling’ customer service as shoppers complained of two-week delays, lost goods and parcels left behind dustbins, under bushes or even with strangers by over-worked couriers. Yodel, the UK’s largest delivery company after Royal Mail, is unable to collect parcels from retailers this weekend as it is already three days behind on existing orders. It is desperately trying to clear the thousands of gifts already piled up in warehouses, with some couriers even delivering parcels in the middle of the night. The company – employed by a string of retailers including Amazon, Boots, Argos, Waterstones and Tesco Direct – said it will not resume normal collections until Monday at the earliest. But analysts pointed out that by this time thousands more orders will have been placed on what is one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year, sparking fears the situation could get worse. Shoppers are also complaining of delays with CityLink, which delivers parcels for Mothercare and John Lewis, among dozens of others. Those affected included Les Dennis who branded the courier’s service ‘appalling’ on Twitter, while broadcaster Danny Baker complained about his Amazon delivery with CityLink, tweeting: ‘Go to actual shops kids.’ Shoppers flooded social networking sites with stories of delayed Christmas presents, including children’s teddies, clothes and toys, which they feared would not arrive before Christmas. Struggling: Courier firm Yodel, which makes deliveries for the likes of Tesco, Argos and Amazon, is unable to collect parcels from retailers this weekend as it is already three days behind on existing orders . Mayhem: John Lewis and Waterstone's deliveries could also be delayed with couriers blaming an unprecedented surge in online shopping over the past fortnight . Hermes, which delivers for retailers such as ASOS and Zara, tried to appease annoyed customers, writing on Twitter that it was ‘working flat out to reply to your tweets’. The firm suffered a fire at its Warrington warehouse last week, causing two-day delays. Couriers for Yodel are paid as little as 50p per delivery and must deliver up to 160 parcels a day, it is claimed. Yodel, voted the worst parcel service in the UK, delivers for firms from Amazon and Waterstones to Boots and Argos. But complaints have stacked up in the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are claims of items left in bushes, in bins or with unknown neighbours, and of deliveries at night. Now stories have emerged of drivers paid just a few pence per parcel. On an online forum where staff rate employers, a man in Nottingham said he was offered the equivalent of 50p a parcel. He said: ‘How they expect you to earn even a half decent wage is beyond me.’ He worked out that by delivering one parcel every six to eight minutes, he would earn £2.50 an hour after deducting petrol, which seasonal couriers must buy. Job ads for seasonal drivers say they work ‘at some pace’, warning: ‘It’s no mean feat.’ A Scottish driver, who spent seven years at Yodel until 2012, said: ‘December is always the worst time. Some workers were out until 10pm. The workers had a target . . . it ranged from 110-160 parcels a day. You couldn’t bring back more than 2 per cent. Guys were coming back with 20 to 30 parcels saying they couldn’t do it. A lot of the workers were off with stress.’ Customers were just as unhappy. Twitter user ‘Yodelhell’ said: ‘All we want is our packages delivered intact. Is it too much to ask?’ Rachel Webber said her order showed she missed a delivery at 1am. She said: ‘I am going to assume I was asleep.’ Yodel said deliveries should be no later than 9pm. A spokesman said many workers had a regular salary but some were self-employed and paid per delivery. Collect+, which allows people to collect their goods from supermarkets and petrol stations, also appeared to be overwhelmed, warning of three-day delays. Delivery firms blamed the chaos on a massive increase in online shopping, fuelled by record sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday two weeks ago. These annual events originated in the US, but have soared in popularity in the UK in recent years. An estimated £810million was spent online on Black Friday which was 50 per cent higher than expected. This was followed by Cyber Monday three days later and then Manic Monday a week later, with a further £666million spent. Retail expert Kate Jones, of Mash Strategy, said: ‘You’ve bought and paid for it, but this year there is no guarantee you’ll receive it in time for Christmas … If you haven’t bought gifts for your loved ones yet then you may be better off hitting the high street.’ Waterstones responded to angry customers yesterday by tweeting that ‘Yodel are currently handling more parcels than they expected, so some deliveries are taking longer than we would like’. On its website, Yodel explained: ‘We spent months planning for Christmas, but even with our experience and those of our clients we underestimated how massive the spikes would be. (We were not alone!) The whole of the retail supply chain has felt the impact. ‘Retailer websites have been crashing, there have been backlogs in distribution centres and all parcel delivery companies have felt the strain.’ Twitter user Frankiebee wrote: ‘Very unhappy with recent JL purchases. Half never arrived and they didn’t call me back when they said they would.’ A John Lewis spokeswoman said: 'All John Lewis delivery systems are working as normal. Customers can shop with confidence and choose the delivery service that best suits their needs. 'Yodel provide the Collect+ delivery service to local newsagents which represents a very small proportion of John Lewis deliveries. 'For any customer orders held at Yodel sites John Lewis has arranged alternative transportation and are currently not taking further orders for this delivery method.' An M&S spokesman said delays meant its in-store Click & Collect service was being offered within two days instead of one. Yesterday, Tesco came under fire after dozens of customers received their orders late. But a spokesman for the firm said: ‘We don’t anticipate any further delays before Christmas.’ Amazon whose Swansea, Wales, warehouse is pictured above, recently announced that their delivery service had been delayed by 'the unprecedented number of orders received during Black Friday Deals Week' Delivery firms blamed the chaos on a massive increase in online shopping, fuelled by record sales on Black Friday two weeks ago. pictured, customers shove eachother at Black Friday Sales in Asda, Wembley . Further pressure was added on transport services by another £666million being spent on Manic Monday .
online shopping over the past fortnight. Scroll were taking up to four days longer than usual as rather than doing it online. M&S admitted deliveries were taking up to four days longer backlog. It warned that orders placed tomorrow may not arrive until December 23 and said that people shop on the high street for the blaming an unprecedented surge in online shopping