Total volume of parcels in Europe 2012-2020
In 2020, the European Postal Service delivered around *** billion parcels, an increase of **** percent compared to the previous year. This nearly doubles the *** billion parcels shipped in Europe in 2012.
Sustained growth during the COVID-19 pandemic
Strict lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic affected businesses all around the world, limiting in-store sales. As a result, the parcel delivery market in Europe saw exceptionally high volumes in 2020. The pandemic inadvertently boosted dynamism in the market as most people ordered their daily needs via online retailers. Effecting not only Europe, restrictions forced people to turn to online shopping all around the world. This change in consumer behavior is foreseen to be persistent until 2026 at which point global parcel shipping is expected to reach *** million packages.
Germany - European parcel market leader
In 2020, the German postal services delivered more than *** billion packages across the territory of Germany. This volume of parcel operations made the German market to open up a significant lead among other European countries, specifically the French market, the second-largest one, which handled approximately *** billion parcels in the same year. The courier, express, and parcels (CEP) market has undergone a consequential digital transformation through exceeding research and development investments. German market might secure its leading place in the future since postal service companies continuously invest in innovations to uplift the market and their revenues.