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Out-of-home delivery & returns – Europe leads the way!

35% of Europeans and 25% of global shoppers have their items delivered directly to an out-of-home location. However, 79% of Europeans and 66% of global shoppers return their unwanted items to a parcel locker or parcel shop.

Out-of-home (‘’OOH’’) delivery and returns are on the rise. Shoppers want more flexible and convenient locations that fit around their lifestyle. With 81% of global shoppers abandoning their basket if their preferred delivery is not offered and 79% abandoning if their preferred returns method is not offered, offering out-of-home choices is no longer a nice to have. Out-of-home is a way to improve convenience, reduce failed deliveries and meet growing customer expectations.


Out-of-home in numbers – Globally vs. Europe

53%

OF EUROPEAN SHOPPERS RETURN ITEMS VIA A PARCEL SHOP

45%

OF GLOBAL SHOPPERS RETURN ITEMS VIA A PARCEL SHOP

26%

OF EUROPEAN SHOPPERS RETURN ITEMS VIA A PARCEL LOCKER

22%

OF GLOBAL SHOPPERS RETURN ITEMS VIA A PARCEL LOCKER

1 IN 3

GLOBAL SHOPPERS PREFER TO REDIRECT THEIR PARCEL TO AN OOH LOCATION

41%

OR EUROPEAN SHOPPERS REDIRECT THEIR PARCEL TO AN OUT-OF-HOME LOCATION

26%

OF GLOBAL SHOPPERS WANT TO SCAN A QR CODE AT THE DROP-OFF POINT WHEN RETURNING AN ITEM

25%

OF EUROPEAN SHOPPERS WANT TO SCAN A QR CODE AT THE DROP-OFF POINT WHEN RETURNING AN ITEM


Delivered to home, returned on the go

Shoppers in Europe are leading the shift towards out-of-home delivery and returns. With growing demand for pickup points, parcel lockers and local drop-offs, convenience is being redefined across the region. For retailers selling to this market, keeping up with these preferences is essential. Offering the right delivery and returns options could be the difference between winning or losing a customer at checkout.

Shoppers want convenience – but that doesn’t always look the same for delivery and returns. Home delivery remains the top choice, with most preferring the ease of having orders arrive at their door. Returns, however, tell a different story. Out-of-home options like drop-off points and parcel lockers are gaining ground. For retailers, offering flexibility at both ends of the journey is essential.

Delivery preferences

 

Home delivery

Parcel locker

Parcel shop

Argentina

73%

2%

11%

Australia

64%

6%

8%

Austria

70%

12%

5%

Brazil

83%

2%

6%

Canada

77%

6%

8%

China

38%

24%

26%

The Czech Republic

25%

41%

29%

France

53%

9%

28%

Germany

60%

14%

10%

India

76%

5%

8%

Italy

51%

10%

25%

Malaysia

77%

7%

7%

Morocco

77%

6%

9%

The Netherlands

70%

6%

17%

Nigeria

75%

3%

15%

Poland

26%

56%

13%

South Africa

86%

6%

7%

Spain

64%

8%

10%

Sweden

32%

26%

38%

Thailand

76%

4%

9%

Turkey

73%

6%

7%

The UAE

79%

5%

6%

The UK

68%

9%

10%

The USA

71%

6%

8%

Global

64%

12%

13%

Europe

54%

18%

17%

 

Returns preferences

 

Home Collection

Parcel locker

Parcel shop

Argentina

28%

16%

55%

Australia

24%

16%

60%

Austria

8%

47%

45%

Brazil

24%

36%

40%

Canada

26%

11%

62%

China

65%

15%

20%

The Czech Republic

11%

33%

56%

France

11%

17%

72%

Germany

15%

26%

59%

India

67%

13%

19%

Italy

43%

13%

44%

Malaysia

37%

29%

34%

Morocco

45%

33%

22%

The Netherlands

13%

11%

76%

Nigeria

33%

11%

56%

Poland

11%

67%

21%

South Africa

64%

10%

26%

Spain

35%

14%

51%

Sweden

7%

16%

77%

Thailand

44%

11%

45%

Turkey

57%

17%

26%

The UAE

73%

14%

13%

The UK

24%

19%

57%

The USA

29%

16%

56%

Global

34%

22%

45%

Europe

21%

26%

53%


Delivery flexibility is an expectation

Shoppers want flexibility when it comes to tracking and redirecting their parcels – and that includes choosing an out-of-home location for their redirection. 41% of Europeans redirect their parcel to an out-of-home location, compared to 33% of global shoppers, and they mainly track and re-direct their parcels via the delivery providers app or website. Make it easy for your customers to manage, and you’ll create a delivery experience that meets their expectations.

Where do shoppers prefer to redirect their parcels to – and where globally and in Europe is this most popular?

How do shoppers track and re-direct their parcels – and where globally and in Europe is this the most popular?


Get that ‘’Tracking Happy’’ feeling

It’s never been easier to give your customers that ‘’Tracking Happy’’ feeling when you’re partnered with a globally trusted logistics provider like DHL eCommerce.


Generational differences for out-of-home

Younger generations are leading the way in out-of-home delivery, but it’s Gen X and Baby Boomers who are driving demand for parcel shop returns. 54% of Baby Boomers return items via a parcel shop, compared to just 40% of Gen Z. However, when it comes to parcel lockers, the preference shifts. Younger shoppers are more likely to return items this way, with 27% of Gen Z and 23% of Millennials using parcel lockers, compared to 19% of Gen X and only 15% of Baby Boomers.

When redirecting a parcel, more than half of shoppers prefer to send it to a safe place or reschedule the delivery day – but out-of-home redirections are rising across all age groups. For tracking and redirecting parcels, the top preference across generations is the delivery provider’s app, followed by their website.

With out-of-home returns on the rise, it’s no surprise that paperless returns are gaining popularity. Although most shoppers still prefer to receive a return label in the parcel, paperless options are quickly gaining traction – especially among Gen Z and Millennials.

How do they prefer to have their items delivered?

 

Home delivery

Parcel locker

Parcel shop

Gen Z

58%

13%

14%

Millennials

61%

12%

14%

Gen X

67%

11%

13%

Baby Boomers

73%

9%

12%

How do they prefer to return items?

 

Home collection

Parcel locker

Parcel shop

Gen Z

32%

27%

40%

Millennials

35%

23%

43%

Gen X

36%

19%

45%

Baby Boomers

31%

15%

54%

Where do they redirect their parcels to?

 

Safe place

Change the delivery day

 

Parcel shop

Parcel locker

A neighbor

Gen Z

29%

22%

19%

16%

15%

Millennials

27%

25%

19%

15%

13%

Gen X

26%

27%

18%

14%

15%

Baby Boomers

24%

29%

18%

10%

18%

How do they prefer to track and redirect their parcels?

 

The delivery provider’s app

The delivery provider’s website

The retailer’s app

The retailer’s website

Gen Z

37%

28%

12%

15%

Millennials

38%

28%

11%

15%

Gen X

36%

27%

12%

16%

Baby Boomers

34%

29%

10%

18%

What is their returns label preference?

 

Label included in their parcel

Print-at-home label

Scan a QR code at the drop-off point

Gen Z

51%

16%

32%

Millennials

56%

16%

28%

Gen X

62%

15%

23%

Baby Boomers

66%

17%

17%


All stats and figures are taken from the DHL eCommerce Online Shopper Survey conducted between February and March 2025. Respondents were required to have made at least one purchase online within the three months prior to the survey. 70+ questions were asked to 24,000 respondents across 24 countries (1,000 per country) with an equal split across demographics – where possible. The countries chosen for this survey represent some of the most active e-commerce markets across the globe. Where percentages do not equal 100%, this is due to certain questions having multiple-choice options. Where there is a deviation of percentages over 100%, this is due to rounding of answer options. Not all data from the survey is displayed on this page. Country, regional, generational, and shopper profile data is provided, but this does not reach a level of statistical significance to make definitive statements about specific groups globally. Figures are correct at the time of publishing.


Explore even more trends from the current and past reports:


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