Parcel tracking platform Parcel Monitor has published a study outlining the e-commerce logistics performance of different regions including the UK, Germany, France and Poland.
According to Parcel Monitor, Europe’s e-commerce revenue is projected to exceed US$450bn by 2021, with e-commerce users surpassing the 500 million mark – the equivalent of nearly 60% of the region’s population shopping online.
Looking at European countries, the report found that while the UK and France had higher transit times of 1.9 days and 1.8 days respectively, both countries saw a significant improvement in transit times compared with the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020.
Examining the peak holiday shopping season, which consists of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas, the report found that while the growth in parcel volume during this period was similar at 62% for Germany, 65% for France and 63% for Poland, the UK saw record-breaking growth at 85%. The UK’s increase in transit time during peak season was also the highest at 29.1%. This was followed by Poland and Germany at 12.5% and 4.7% respectively.
The surge in the UK is likely due to a growing consumer preference toward online shopping. According to a report by the Office for National Statistics, retailers across all sectors in the UK reported large increases in online sales in 2020 with total online retailing values increasing by 46.1% – the highest annual growth experienced since 2008.
In contrast, France experienced a 9.1% decrease in transit time during one of the busiest online shopping periods of the year. The transit time during the first wave of Covid in France was so high that the transit time in peak season 2020 was comparatively low. On top of that, France seemed to be more prepared for peak season crunch time, with La Poste hiring an extra 9,000 people to cope with the peak season surge.
When analyzing parcel lockers and collection points, France saw a whopping 23.4% of parcels delivered to collection points. A similar study by Statista found that 28% of consumers in France opted for click and collect to avoid extra costs. This was followed by Poland and Germany with 12.4% and 11.6% respectively, and the UK at 4.7%.
As observed in previous studies, Parcel Monitor saw a clear upward trend of collection points in Europe. According to the company’s recent collaboration with RetailX, 73% of top 50 retailers in Europe provided collection points as an alternative form of delivery to online shoppers.
To view the original report, click here.