Doorstep parcel theft is soaring in the UAE, according to the first global report on parcel theft. More than 1.2 million parcels were lost or stolen, a 1% increase compared to the previous 12 months, despite lockdown restrictions lifting.
The results are part of the world’s first global parcel theft survey, which found that close to one in ten people had at least one parcel lost or stolen from May 2021 to April 2022. This amounts to a staggering 1.009 billion packages1 globally, at a total cost of US$38.1 billion (DH 142.52 billion).1
Worldwide, there was an all-time high of stolen or lost parcels with an estimated rise of 155 million2 compared to the previous 12 months, despite initiatives to tackle the surge post-covid. This is more than a 2% increase.
The Penn Elcom Global Parcel Theft Report was commissioned by Penn Elcom, a globally recognised British steel manufacturer and producer of the Penn Parcel Box, and sponsored exclusively by Scurri, the world’s leading courier management platform for eCommerce and shipping, and produced by YouGov. It revealed that the UAE had the lowest rate of increase in parcel theft and loss of the countries surveyed, but the number of people affected still rose from 1.09 million between May 2020 and April 2021 to a new high of 1.2 million the following 12 months (+1%).
Age group 18 to 24-year-olds was the hardest-hit for parcel thefts and loss in the past 12 months (16%).
Nationally, an astounding 29% of people surveyed have had a package lost or stolen in their lifetime, amounting to over 2.92 million parcels. This is expected to rise without preventive measures.
One in five people in the UAE (19%) were anxious about parcel theft, with this concern more common among male respondents (71%, compared to 29% women). This split was also seen in fear of stolen parcels (72% men, 28% women), as well as reluctance to make new online purchases (78% men, 22% women).
Despite a lower rise in parcel problems than the global average, 21% of residents have actively researched parcel-theft prevention products – double that of respondents elsewhere. But, while men in the UAE have concerns about parcel safety, women are more likely to research prevention solutions (one in four women, to one in five men).
Google Trends data shows that global searches for ‘parcel theft’ have rocketed as shoppers continue to order online, especially for seasonal holidays. The study found that one in ten people worldwide are also now reluctant to shop due to fear of theft, impacting retailers.
Also published on Medium.
