The results of the 2016 package study are in!

 

The Bundesverband Onlinehandel e.V. (BVOH) commissioned the large parcel study 2016 in cooperation with the E-Commerce Verband (bevh) and parcelLab on the occasion of the "Online Trade Day". The leading five parcel service providers DHL, DPD, GLS, Hermes and UPS were put to the test. 18 German regions were analyzed over a period of three months. Using tracking data from over 100 online retailers, 35 million shipping events were evaluated. The run of standard packages of the service providers was examined. The aim was to create transparency about the shipping performance of online retailers and parcel service providers in particular. Shipping in particular is becoming increasingly important for customers and must be seen as part of the customer experience.

 

On the whole, the result can be seen

.

 

Over 90 percent of parcels are delivered at the first attempt. So BVOH President Oliver Porthmann also comes to the conclusion that, on balance, everyone is doing a good job and things are going well. But a second look reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the service providers.

 

Regional differences in delivery services

 

Delivery problems in villages and smaller towns in particular are on the rise: threefold for DHL, fivefold for the others. As the largest parcel delivery company, DHL delivers more parcels in rural areas and therefore has better structures. If online retailers are shipping to the provinces, DHL is therefore a good choice. Comparing the different regions, GLS and Hermes perform best in the Berlin/Brandenburg area, while UPS has the fewest delivery problems in central Germany, the Rhine-Main region and Saxony.

 

 

Time differences

.

 

The duration of a delivery is particularly relevant for customers - for them, the shipping duration has become an important purchase criterion.

 

In addition, goods should be shipped so that they arrive before Saturday: Delivery problems are 9 times more likely on Saturday than on other days of the week. Capacity/planning problems, address errors, damage and misdirection can be named as problems here. Oliver Prothmann also advises parcel service providers to take a closer look at deliveries on Saturdays.

 

The most likely delivery time of the parcel services is between 10 am and 1 pm. Hermes delivers on average late of all service providers, UPS and GLS relatively early in the day.

 

In the customer rating, UPS performs best, although the parcel service takes longer than two days for nine percent of the parcels sent via it, which is not in line with customer expectations in Germany.

 

On the other hand, UPS and GLS scored points when it comes to the second delivery after the first: it took them less than one day to deliver a shipment to the addressee again. In comparison, DHL needs more than one day for the second delivery.

 

Customer Service: Pickup

 

How quickly a customer picks up his package at the store or Packstation depends on the opening hours, the provision speed and the store density. GLS performs particularly well here.

 

Parcel service DHL offers the highest reliability for deliveries

.

 

Across Germany, the study found DHL to have the highest reliability, regardless of from where to where deliveries are made. The transit times of DHL vary the least compared to the entire test field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Implication for online retailers

 

It is important for online retailers to understand their own delivery and compare which service provider is the best for their requirements. To satisfy customers, online retailers should compare delivery dates at different destinations and days of the week. It therefore makes sense to consciously distribute parcel shipments.

The infographic on the parcel study can be downloaded here: Parcel Study 2016 infographic.