Summer slump and busy winter time 2021

Every German orders an average of 27 parcels per calendar year – more than in other European countries. This is proven by the figures of the current “Shipping Index 2021” of the Sendcloud shipping platform. Other results of the study, which compares the behavior of German and European consumers, are also surprising. From June to September 2021, parcel shipping in Germany experienced a relatively long summer slump with a comparatively low order rate. In addition, as expected, the days with the highest volume of parcel shipments fell in the year-end season. However, none of the shopping campaign days such as Black Friday or Cyber ​​Monday reached the annual peak.

Increase in parcel shipments in November 2021

In Germany, especially in the last two months of 2021, the volume of parcels was well above the normal level: the relative monthly parcel volume was 130 percent in November last year and even 147 percent in December. In June (86 percent) and July (82 percent), however, the volume of parcels was well below the annual average of 100 percent. “The Sendcloud Shipping Index compares the monthly development of parcel volumes in different European countries. Two things immediately catch the eye across countries: rather quiet months in summer and a clear peak in the months towards the end of the year,” explains Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and co-founder of Sendcloud.

A slight peak in March was also noticeable – not only in Germany (with 106 percent), but also in several other countries. This can probably be explained by the corona restrictions in force at the time. According to the Sendcloud Shipping Index, Germans order a total of around 27 packages a year – that corresponds to around one package every 14 days. “It is remarkable that the Germans order more parcels per year on average than their European neighbors in the Netherlands and France,” says van den Heuvel. In the Netherlands, for example, citizens only order 24 packages on average, while in France they only order 22.

Neither Black Friday nor Cyber ​​Monday with the highest shipping volume

The days with the most parcels sent in 2021 fell in the high season in November and December. It is surprising that none of the campaign days such as Cyber ​​Monday and Black Friday was the day with the highest parcel shipments. Most parcel shipments in 2021 were made on a Monday in the run-up to Christmas. With a parcel volume of almost 296 percent, December 13 achieved an even higher volume than Cyber ​​Monday on November 29. Overall, the five days with the highest shipping volume always fall on a Monday, since many packages from weekend orders are processed on the following working day.

About the methodology of the study: Analyzed for the “Shipping Index 2021”. Sendcloud the shipping statistics in several European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain. Sendcloud is an all-in-one shipping platform for eCommerce businesses looking to scale their business. The shipping specialist optimizes the entire shipping process from the purchase process to the return and thus supports online retailers in their competitiveness. The solution turns e-commerce logistics from a bottleneck into a growth accelerator and shipping into a competitive advantage.