Consumer trust in home delivery is eroding thanks to an unreliable service, which is creating “parcel anxiety” among customers, as well as wasting hours of their time, according to a report by locker giant InPost.
InPost’s research shows that 95% of adults receive a parcel each month, with an average person receiving six, yet 40% miss at least one delivery.
Roughly one-third of parcels fail on the first attempt, forcing consumers to spend an average of 3.2 hours waiting at home and a further 2.3 hours sorting out missed deliveries, the research revealed. The result is a system that wastes time, frustrates customers and pressures retailers’ service teams, the report noted.
It points to Ofcom and Which? data which shows rising dissatisfaction, creating unprecedented complaint volumes driven by missed deliveries.
The data showed that 83% of people encounter at least one delivery issue, with the most common being parcels left in unspecified “safe places” (40%), concern over doorstep theft (39%), exposure to bad weather (37%) and last-minute time-slot changes (36%).
The report says these problems show a systemic failure, created by a lack of choice of delivery options. Whilst consumers can choose their payment method, product variation and personalisation, there is little choice as to the time parcels arrive.
This inconsistency in delivery has far reaching consequence, with two-thirds (66%) report disrupted or missed important moments, almost one third (32%) reporting significant occasions negatively impacted, and one in ten saying they’ve missed major life moments outright. Another 10% report medical or health-related disruptions, according to the research.
The report argues that retailers typically select delivery partners based on price per parcel, but this focus on the lowest unit cost creates a false economy by ignoring the total cost of delivery failure, such as the cost of customer service volumes, brand damage from failed deliveries, refunds, re-dispatch costs and the loss of repeat customers.
Not surprisingly InPost has a solution which includes using InPost Lockers, arguing that out-of-home (OOH) deliveries are associated with significantly lower customer contact rates compared with to-door delivery.
The report posits that when consumers are given delivery options with greater control, certainty and fewer failure points, complaints and contact volumes fall sharply, alongside overall parcel anxiety.
Michael Rouse, CEO International, InPost UK international chief executive, commented: “Home delivery should not require households to donate half a day to their doorbell.
“The data shows a meaningful loss in time and control for customers, plus further operational complications for merchants.
“The way the e-commerce industry presents delivery needs to change. It is not a back-end function, it is a core part of the brand experience.
“By giving shoppers a genuine choice at checkout, retailers can turn missed delivery friction into certainty, lowering costs while improving the experience.
“Until this happens, parcel anxiety will remain a defining feature of UK commerce.”
The research for InPost was conducted by Yonder Data Services in January 2026 and involved the participation of 2,074 British respondents.
