1 billion packages lost or stolen in a year

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Online shoppers taking advantage of Black Friday discounts are being urged to protect their packages from porch pirates as the first global report on parcel theft reveals that the UK has suffered the biggest increase in the rate of stolen and packages lost – with the cost-of-living crisis expected to make this even worse. 

The Global Parcel Theft Report 2022 created by Penn Elcom and in partnership with Scurri shows that 12% of people in the UK reported at least one packages lost or stolen between May 2021 and April 2022 – up 5% on the previous 12 months. That amounts to more than eight million parcels, costing UK customers £320 million in missing goods. 

With everyone’s budgets stretched more than ever this year, the findings of our report are a wake-up call for online shoppers who want to avoid heartache this Black Friday and when buying online gifts for their loved ones this Christmas.

Everyone wants the convenience of delivery to their home, but if you don’t have somewhere couriers can leave parcels securely out of sight, opting for a Pick Up Drop Off location will ensure your packages aren’t easy pickings on your doorstep.

– Roger Willems, chairman of Penn Elcom

Packages lost or stolen fast stats

  • UK has largest increase of parcels stolen or lost (5%), followed by Australia (3%), Canada (2%), United States (1%) and the UAE (1%) 
  • Wales becomes the worst-affected area in the UK
  • One third of UK residents reported concerns around sending or receiving parcels due to loss/theft (36%)
  • 32% of people surveyed in the UK have had a package lost or stolen in their lifetime, which amounts to 21.5 million parcels
  • 4 million UK shoppers say their concerns about parcel security make them reluctant to shop online
  • Globally, close to one in ten people said they had at least one parcel lost or stolen from May 2021 to April 2022, amounting to a staggering 1.009 billion packages, at a total cost of £33.6 billion – more than a 2% increase on the previous 12 months.

17% of Brits say they are anxious about parcel theft, with 60% of these being women. However, 60% of respondents who have investigated parcel theft prevention products are men. Overall, 7.4 million people in the UK have fears that the parcels they send and receive are at risk of being stolen. 

Regional results for packages lost

  • Four times more parcel thefts and loss in Wales from the previous 12-month period– up from 4% to 16% – making Wales the worst-affected area in the UK
  • Double the amount of parcel thefts and loss year on year in:
    • Scotland (up 6% to 12%)
    • the Midlands (up from 6% to 12%) 
    • the East (up from 5% to 10%) 
  • 6% higher rate of overall parcel thefts and loss in the South West compared to the national average (38% parcel issues across respondents’ lifetimes)

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