One in Two Now Opts for Contactless Package Delivery Since Corona

During the Corona times, contactless package delivery was introduced. Nowadays, all major parcel service providers offer this, and according to a survey by Bitkom, 52 percent of customers are also using this service.

(Berlin) “Please sign here” – since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, parcel deliverers say this sentence noticeably less often during handovers. According to a representative survey conducted by the Digital Association Bitkom among 1,003 people in Germany aged 16 and older, more than one in two consumers (52 percent) have been using delivery methods that make direct contact with the courier unnecessary since the outbreak of the Corona virus. Approximately a quarter of consumers (23 percent) have since opted for granting a drop-off permission, allowing the package to be left at a desired location that was previously communicated digitally. 22 percent still have their package delivered to their front door but have recently opted to avoid direct contact – either because the courier leaves the package at the door or no signature is required. 18 percent have since had packages delivered to a parcel station. “Online shopping is booming and has gained even more traction in some segments since the Corona pandemic. It is all the more important that the health of suppliers and customers is the focus during package delivery. Many logistics companies offer the option to specify a desired drop-off location online via email or app before delivery,” says Florian Lange, Bitkom expert for trade and logistics. “Given the current situation, this is a sensible addition to online real-time tracking and notification via email shortly before the package arrives.” More than half of those (55 percent) who have not yet used the drop-off permission delivery option can imagine doing so in the future. 28 percent would have their packages delivered to a parcel station in the future. There is also great potential in personal parcel boxes placed next to one’s mailbox: only 2 percent report having installed such a parcel box before Corona, and another 3 percent have done so during the pandemic – however, 42 percent would use such a box in the future. “During the Corona pandemic, personal parcel boxes represent a safe delivery option,” says Lange. “But they are also worthwhile in the long term: the annoying ringing at the neighbor’s door is eliminated, as is the long wait at the counter in the post office. With new, innovative delivery methods, consumers can receive packages at home just as easily as letters.” Methodology note: The data is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the Digital Association Bitkom. In April 2020, 1,003 people in Germany aged 16 and older were surveyed by phone. The survey is representative. The questions were: “What options for package delivery did you use before the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, and which do you use since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic?” and “You have not yet used some of the mentioned delivery options, please tell me which of these options you would generally use.” Photo: © Adobe Stock www.bitkom.org