Charts: Global Parcel Shipping Volume, Transit Times

Global parcel shipping volume will more than double by 2026, according to Statista, reaching 266 billion annual parcels compared to 131 billion parcels in 2020.

Statista’s data is “parcels that were shipped from business-to-business, business-to-consumer, consumer-to-business, and consumer consigned shipments with a weight up to 31.5 kg (70 pounds) across 13 countries.”

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Peak Holiday Shopping

Parcel Perform is a “delivery experience” platform, providing insights on ecommerce logistics and global package tracking. The company has just released findings from the 2021 peak holiday shopping season in Europe and the United States.

According to the research, consumers’ purchasing behavior changed due to supply chain disruptions and increased uncertainty around the global pandemic. Parcel volumes in Europe in 2021 for the Black Friday Cyber Monday period (Nov. 22 thru Dec. 12) increased 70% over pre-BFCM levels (Nov. 1 thru Nov. 21) compared to a 94% increase in 2020. The U.S. experienced a 43% increase in parcel volume during the 2021 BFCM period compared to pre-BFCM levels.

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Transit Times

Parcel Perform’s data also addressed transit times. During BFCM 2021, parcel shipments in the U.S. took 13.6% longer than the 21-days before, compared to 23.44% longer during the same period in 2020. In Europe, 2021 BFCM shipments took 10.1% longer versus 8.6% longer in 2020.

Dana von der Heide, Parcel Perform’s co-founder and chief commercial officer, stated, “Despite global supply chains grappling with pent-up demand for consumer goods, the improvement in transit times was indicative of consolidated efforts of many carriers being better prepared for potential peak season surges in parcel deliveries.”

Parcel Perform defines “transit time” as the period (hours, days) from initial departure to arrival at the final destination.

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Customer Satisfaction

The American Customer Satisfaction Index is an economic indicator of U.S. consumer sentiment based on a nationwide survey wherein respondents rate the products and services they use — including shipping companies (PDF).

The index is a 0-100 scale, with 100 being the highest.