The epidemic of doorstep theft shows no signs of letting up, with new figures from Quadient showing that 4.83million homes fell victim to porch piracy last year, equating to one package stolen every seven seconds.

With £666million worth of parcels stolen across the UK last year, the cost to consumers – and businesses – is significant; nearly three in ten (29%) customers said parcel theft caused them financial loss, as they struggled to secure refunds or replacements.

“Knowing that a parcel is now stolen roughly every seven seconds in the UK shows how urgent it is to change the way we deliver packages,” said Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, Director of Lockers Automation Europe at Quadient.

“People are changing how they shop and increasingly looking for safer options.  Retailers, carriers, landlords and local authorities all have a role to play in restoring trust and making secure options the norm, so consumers can feel confident that their parcels and their peace of mind are protected.”

Quadient’s data showed that after a theft, almost two-fifths (38%) of customers change their delivery instructions, with 30% starting to use parcel lockers for deliveries and one in ten (13%) going so far as to avoid online shopping altogether.