The Corona – crisis has changed all our lives permanently, that much is certain. Due to the unprecedented restrictions on public life in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, consumer behaviour in particular has changed dramatically. Since many non-essential shops were closed during the lockdowns or only available to a very limited extent, the already existing trend towards ordering on the internet increased significantly. The share prices of online mail-order companies such as Amazon, Zalando, Zooplus or Shop – Apotheke clearly show that they are among the winners of the pandemic. Logically, the volume of parcels transported also rose sharply as a result, with mail-order companies such as DHL and Hermes reporting record figures in 2020. In the following article we will take a closer look at how the volume of parcels and, in contrast, the volume of mail has developed in recent years. In addition, you will learn why the strong increase in demand for parcel post is the logical consequence of the previously examined developments.
The global parcel boom in figures
According to experts, the Corona – pandemic has brought global digitalisation forward by two to three years. Online shopping was one of the most obvious winners of the crisis. The general advantages for customers who order their goods on the internet are obvious: an enormous product selection, convenient order processing, quick availability of the ordered goods and the fact that bulky parcels can be transported by third parties. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of parcels delivered worldwide in 2015 was still around 51 billion. Only four years later, i.e. in 2019, this number has doubled (read more here: https://de.statista.com/infografik/23429/anzahl-der-weltweiten-paketlieferungen/). A further doubling or even tripling is expected by 2026. The annual growth rates up to 2019 were approx. 16% and 18%. In 2020, however, the estimated growth (data not yet published) was over 20 %. The world's most frequent supplier of small packages is China, which accounted for 62 % of the total market in 2019 (by comparison: USA 14.5 %, Germany 4 %).
Logistics companies partly at the limit
In order to cope with this flood, logistics service providers have had to make major upgrades. Deutsche Post, for example, hired more than 20,000 new employees worldwide. Especially at Christmas, the companies were close to the limit of their capacity; finally, on the peak days, twice the number of parcels had to be distributed compared to conventional days (11 million compared to 5.2 million). Therefore, customers had to order unusually early in order to guarantee delivery before Christmas. Those who thought about their order too late had to look into the books on Christmas Eve. Even if a slight decline in growth rates to those of previous years is to be expected in 2021, the trend towards online shipping is irreversible. The fact that many retailers had to close their shops during the pandemic, thus further strengthening the market position of internet mail order companies, acts as a further catalyst for this development.
The development of mail reception is declining
While the parcel trade is one of the growth markets par excellence, the picture for letter mail is diametrically opposed. Since 2012, the number of letters sent has been steadily decreasing. This has even gone so far that the postal service is considering generally discontinuing the delivery of private letters on Mondays. There are several reasons for this development.
1. Increased use of e-mails and other electronic messages
The biggest driver of the rapid increase in the number of letters sent is certainly the steady increase in the use of e-mails as a medium of communication. Especially in business correspondence, letters that do not require official confirmation of delivery are often sent via Outlook and the like in the interests of speed. With the increasing digitalisation of accounting, invoices are also increasingly being sent electronically.
In the private sector, letters are sent electronically.
In the private sphere, pen pals have become virtually obsolete, as messenger services such as WhatsApp enable private communication in written and video form across the globe in seconds.
2. End of the letter monopoly
In 2007, the last monopoly of Deutsche Post, namely the letter monopoly, was overturned. From 1995 to 2007, Deutsche Post was unrivalled in letter delivery. The business was enormously lucrative for the Post: at the time of the stock market flotation in 2000, the letter division was responsible for a whopping 77 per cent of the operating profit. In 2020, it was only 29 percent. A current competitor of Deutsche Post is, for example, Postcon from Essen in the Ruhr region.
3. Environmental aspects
In the course of society's increasing awareness of sustainability, e-mails are nowadays considered to be more environmentally friendly, whereas sending letters is a waste of paper on the one hand and the delivery process causes unnecessary emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 on the other.
Why a parcel post box makes sense
The conclusion is that parcel delivery is increasing strongly and will continue to do so in the future, while letter delivery continues to decrease and there is no reversal of the trend in sight. Perhaps you are now asking yourself how useful a traditional letterbox will actually be in the future. Well, this question is justified. It would make more sense to have a letterbox that can receive both parcels and letters. Exactly such a thing already exists. With a so-called parcel post box, you can be proactive and be one step ahead of the future.
The problems with traditional delivery
As convenient as ordering online may be, it does come with some problems, some of which will no doubt sound familiar to you, dear readers. The best-known of these is probably the problem of finding a parcel that has supposedly been delivered, especially if you are unable to collect it in person. Particularly in densely populated areas, parcels are often left somewhere in the neighbourhood and only the delivery service provider leaves the last name of the recipient. In large conurbations, such a search can take hours and the risk is high that it will end with an unsatisfactory result.
If a consignment is deposited at the front door, there are other sources of danger to be aware of. During heavy rain showers, the cardboard could soften and a fragile consignment could possibly be damaged. It is also possible for shipments to be stolen.
Parcel letter boxes as a solution to delivery problems
To avoid the aforementioned inconveniences, parcel letter boxes can be used. Delivery staff can simply drop your items into a slot. The difference to normal letterboxes is the following: While the upper flap closes when the parcel is inserted, an inner flap that was previously positioned horizontally opens. The item then drops down and the inner flap closes again. This ensures that the mailbox cannot be removed from the parcel post box afterwards. The boxes, which are either free-standing or surface-mounted, are large enough to accommodate several parcels. The recipient can then easily open the parcel post box with a key and remove the item(s) via a small door. The models, which can be customised in terms of their exact dimensions, can be labelled and are equipped with lighting and bells. This way, the courier service can inform you that the delivery has been made. By the way, there are also models for larger residential units, whereby the boxes are arranged below or next to each other. Visually, too, the weatherproof steel chests have a pleasing, high-quality design. Which model you choose should depend on your individual circumstances and preferences.
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