FedEx expects that holiday shoppers will be more nice than naughty this year, with shipments rising from 2012.
The company said Wednesday it expects to carry more than 22 million shipments on the busiest day of the season, which it believes will be Monday, Dec. 2. It handled about 19.9 million shipments on Dec. 17, 2012.
FedEx predicts that shipments in the first week of December will rise 13 percent over last year's peak week, to more than 85 million shipments, driven by online shopping and retailers stocking up on electronics, apparel and other goods.
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It's basing the forecasts partly on estimates by the National Retail Federation, a trade group, and research firm eMarketer.
Memphis-based FedEx expects to hire about 20,000 seasonal workers, up slightly from last year.
—By The Associated Press