Large differences in pickup speed
While some take at least two days to pick up their package, there are also consumers who want their package at home faster: 45.8 percent of recipients pick up their package within 24 hours. 14.9 percent of consumers leave a package for longer than 96 hours and 2.4 percent even longer than a week.
Dwell time increases during peak periods
The time packages remain uncollected further increases during busy moments and bad weather. Around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the average dwell time rises by 9.1 percent to 49.4 hours. During the Christmas period, this increase remains at a comparable level (9%). Also in January, when heavy snowfall hit the country, the dwell time increased to an average of 2.2 days. In that same period, the share of packages that remained uncollected for more than 72 hours grew from 14.9 to 20.1 percent.
Not only does the dwell time increase during busy periods, but the volume of packages also rises. The absolute peak was on Cyber Monday, when the volume of packages in the shops was nearly three times higher (169.3% higher than normal) compared to an average day.
Differences per day of the week
Because consumers have preferred times to pick up packages, the accumulation is unevenly distributed throughout the week. On Wednesdays, the pressure at parcel points is greatest, with an average of 31 percent more packages in storage than on an average day. This is related to the fact that most packages are delivered on Tuesdays. Shipments that cannot be delivered at home then go to a parcel point, which causes extra pressure on Wednesdays.
Saturdays are by far the most popular pickup day: with 141.8 percent compared to the average, most consumers go to the pickup point then. As a result, packages remain uncollected longer in the days before, putting pressure on storage capacity earlier in the week.
Jeroen Gehlen, founder of Wuunder: "What these figures show is that delivery and pickup moments often do not align. Packages are now delivered at times that are logistically inefficient, due to the promise of next-day delivery. These are not necessarily times that fit with when the consumer has time to pick them up. If you better align the two, for example by scheduling delivery around the time someone actually goes by, you shorten the dwell time of a package. This leads to a more even use of service points and makes the network more efficient, without the need for extra capacity. This is always important, but becomes especially essential during peak periods, as volumes increase significantly and service points fill up faster. By better aligning delivery and pickup behavior, you prevent congestion, overloading of locations, and unnecessary extra trips.
