Parcelhub surveys retailer delivery processes

• 18 February 2020
• Transport / Logistics Services

Multi-carrier delivery management and proactive tracking support providers Parcelhub have surveyed 100 UK B2C and B2B mid-market retailers in an attempt to understand how they are responding to customer demands in regard delivery. 



Amongst the key findings, 68% offer 48-hour delivery while 61% offer next-day delivery. Just 55% offer returns as standard. During the delivery process, 51% offer the option to leave a parcel in a safe place while 31% offer Collect+ pickup/drop-off.

Where it comes to carriers, 40% use a third-party delivery company and 60% work directly with carriers. Among the carriers used, 37% Royal Mail; 35% Hermes; 22% Parcelforce, 20% DHL, 20% DPD.

The Parcelhub survey of the retailers also found that 83% were happy with the delivery service – a low number in the scheme of things – and 88% happy with carrier collections, another point that needs improvement.

The survey found 55% use Amazon; 48% eBay; and 17% their own website.

Where it comes to item tracking, 90% believe they have good parcel tracking visibility with 72% considering outsourcing delivery tracking to a third party, with those who already use a carrier management company, 84% are willing to outsource tracking to a third party

Commenting on the findings, Simon Wright Marketing Manager Parcelhub said: “Our research shows that the delivery landscape is increasing in complexity as consumers are becoming more sophisticated in their demands for flexible delivery services. Larger retailers have the size and scale to be able to adapt to these needs but smaller retailers do not have the critical mass to be able to directly manage these complex carrier relationships.

“At Parcelhub we are well placed to work with mid-market retailers who are looking to diversify their delivery capabilities yet want to do so within one carrier management system and outsource customer service. Our research shows this is exactly what mid-market retailers are looking for with 69% struggling to manage their customer service queries and 84% are willing to outsource the delivery tracking component of their customer service to a third party; this means our unique offering is really relevant and has broad appeal.”