British shoppers are spending an estimated 370 million hours collectively every month just managing deliveries and returns, says new data from Quadient.

Its study of 2,000 UK consumers shows that parcel admin is becoming a increasing part of everyday life, with the average person spending 5.5 hours a month managing parcels, from tracking, sending and shipping parcels, managing returns to waiting at home for deliveries.

The single biggest drain when it comes to parcel admin is waiting for deliveries at home, which accounts for 1.5 hours a month per person (equivalent to almost a full day – 18 hours – every year).  

Resale is driving some of the increased volumes of parcels UK shoppers are sending and receiving, with over three quarters (77%) of consumers having sold second-hand goods online.

“Parcels are no longer just something people receive from time to time,” said Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, Director of Lockers Automation Europe at Quadient. “They now support work, returns, resale, subscriptions and everyday exchanges between people, meaning parcel management has become a constant part of modern life.” 

“As the parcel economy continues to evolve, the industry needs to rethink the delivery and returns experience, making parcel management simpler, more flexible and far less time-consuming,” she added.