How do different European countries position themselves with respect to Out Of Home deliveries? In this in-depth study we will try to answer this question, also understanding how Italy is positioned compared to the rest of Europe.
Let’s start by analyzing some data: 159 billion parcels were shipped worldwide in 2021, also accomplice to eCommerce, which is worth $6.3 billion globally in 2023.
Parcel shipping is a booming business that relies on eCommerce buyers to increase volume and revenue. Suffice it to say that by 2026, the value of eCommerce will increase by 56 percent to $8.1 billion.
Faced with this scenario, it is inevitable that we need to find effective solutions to make eCommerce more sustainable, thus avoiding incentives for parcel delivery via Home Delivery. Indeed, millions of parcels to be delivered to millions of different addresses does not seem to be the most efficient solution.
The answer therefore lies in so-called Out Of Home deliveries.
What is meant by Out Of Home deliveries
By Out Of Home (or OOH, to put it in acronym) deliveries, we mean the ability to pick up a package or make a return at a Pick Up/Drop Off Point (PUDO), a Locker or in Click & Collect mode at a retail outlet.
Out Of Home deliveries, therefore, are an alternative to the more traditional Home Delivery that involves having the package delivered directly to the customer’s doorstep.
Countries with the most options for Out Of Home deliveries
According to data presented in Last Mile Experts‘ “Out of Home Delivery in Europe 2023” report, Lockers across Europe have increased by 51 percent since 2021, while Pickup Points are growing by 7 percent each year.
Analyzing the total number of Out Of Home delivery and pickup options for each European country shows that Poland, Czech Republic, and Denmark are the three states with the largest total number of Lockers and Pickup Points. They are followed by Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Great Britain, Spain and, in tenth position, Italy.
However, by relating the total number of Out Of Home solutions to the number of inhabitants for each state, the ranking changes. Poland, Denmark, Great Britain, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Greece and Malta are in fact the countries with the highest number of Out Of Home options per 10 thousand inhabitants.
Out of Home deliveries: the countries with the most PUDOs
The countries with the largest number of Withdrawal Points are: Germany (51,090), France (49,200), Italy (47,740), Great Britain (45,340) and Poland (29,520).
Out of Home deliveries: the countries with the most Locker
Looking at the number of Lockers in the country, the ranking changes.
The countries with the largest number of Lockers are thus: Poland (28,880), Great Britain (15,460), Germany (13,450), France (8,750) and the Czech Republic (7,480).
Out of Home Deliveries in Italy
Regarding Italy in particular, an increasing percentage of retailers are offering Out Of Home deliveries to their customers.
In fact, deliveries at Lockers and Pickup Points are growing: in 2023 they reached 15.9 percent of total online product purchases, up from the 7.3 percent recorded in 2014.
A symptom that consumers increasingly appreciate and demand Out Of Home deliveries, which can offer them greater flexibility and ensure greater environmental and economic sustainability.
In fact, a joint study by Packlink and Retail Economics (“E-Commerce Shipping Report 2023”) showed that more than one-third – 34 percent – of shoppers would gladly switch to shipping to a pickup point or in-store Click & Collect service for their orders, if available.
How to integrate Out of Home deliveries to your online store
If you want to integrate Out Of Home deliveries to your online store and meet the needs of your customers, the right solution is GEL Proximity.
In fact, GEL Proximity is the world’s first technology that places last-mile logistics at the center of the purchasing process by directly managing the relationship between the checkout and the Proximity solution chosen to pick up or return a package.
If you are an eCommerce manager and would like to integrate your online store with more than 125,000 Pickup Points and Lockers already active throughout the country and internationally, schedule an appointment with us.
