Top Delivery Success Rates Around the World

Let’s be honest. We live in an era of instant gratification and gone are the days of waiting weeks-long for packages to arrive. Retailers today are catering to a generation of impatient consumers who cannot tolerate delays, let alone failed delivery attempts. Anyone who works in customer support would tell you about the flood of complaints they receive on a day-to-day basis regarding delivery hiccups.

With the current retail industry in a constant state of flux, it can be challenging for businesses to strike a balance between customer satisfaction and profitability. Considering the sheer complexity of the issue and the many different determinants involved, it is understandable that some regions experience a higher delivery success rate than others. 

For the purpose of this analysis, our team has examined the first-attempt delivery success rates around the world in 2021. Which countries rank the highest and the lowest in this regard? Is there a difference between the weekday and weekend delivery performances globally? Let’s find out!

For more insightful findings, download the free report now (exclusive to Parcel Monitor members). 

Overall Delivery Success Rate Was the Highest in Asia

Numerous sources including Eurosender claim that common causes of failed delivery attempts include the absence of a receiver, an incorrect or incomplete delivery address, and the inaccessibility of the designated location. It was hence surprising to find Asia having the highest level of delivery success at 97%, despite it being known for gaps in logistics infrastructure. In India, for instance, finding the right delivery address poses a major roadblock in last-mile logistics due to the existence of a diversified address network at the national level.

Given the context, it is only logical that the high delivery service performance in the region is linked to the majority of customers staying home in the wake of the global pandemic. This is especially true in the second half of 2021 where we saw an emergence of COVID variants that forced many Asian countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh to reinstate lockdowns. Americans, on the other hand, are more reluctant to stay at home, as evidenced by their constant defiance of stay-at-home orders through rallied protests urging for their removal.

Negligible Difference Between Weekday and Weekend Delivery Performances in Most Regions

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Contrary to popular belief, the delivery success rates on weekdays and weekends were roughly the same in most regions. South America, however, was the only region that saw a significant dip (6%) in the success levels on Sunday as compared to other days of the week. In contrast to many Asian nations with particularly long working hours that often eat into the weekends, Sundays in Latin America are reserved for family events and outdoor activities. As such, residents in these countries are more likely to be away from home, thus resulting in a lower parcel delivery success rate on this day.

The US Saw a Significantly Lower Success Rates on Sunday, Which Was Not the Case for Other Countries in the Region

It was interesting to find that the package delivery performance in the US differs greatly from other North American nations. While the overall success rate of the region was relatively high at 93.9% on Sunday, the US saw a much lower figure of 86.3% on the same day. This divergence in trend may be attributable to the fact that Saturday and Sunday are standard delivery days for many US residents. Several major shipping companies in the country such as FedEx and USPS provide weekend delivery services with no additional fees. According to ShipMatrix, the average volume of total US weekend deliveries doubled to 13.5 million units between 2013 to 2019. Such unprecedented growth tends to come with a high risk of demand exceeding capacity, as might have happened with the US postal services.

The Importance of First-Time Delivery Attempts 

When it comes to e-commerce retail, making the first delivery attempt on time means everything. Having to redeliver an item not only incurs additional costs for businesses but also longer wait times for customers. Considering the fierce competition in last-mile services, carrier companies must work harder than ever to maintain customer loyalty. A great way to ensure high delivery success rates is to integrate real-time visibility tools that automate the entire delivery process.

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