Out Of Home deliveries in Italy are growing faster and faster, but how are the Networks of Pick-up Points and Lockers growing?
The topic of delivery is central when it comes to eCommerce, as it is increasingly able to guide the purchasing decisions of consumers, who now expect alternative and more flexible ways to traditional home delivery.
Responding to this need are Out Of Home deliveries, which are a viable alternative to home delivery. However, they require an extensive and efficient network to function properly and thus meet the needs of merchants and customers.
In this article we will analyse the state of the art of Out Of Home deliveries in Italy: we will find out how many Pick-up Points and Lockers are available in the country and how many Out Of Home deliveries there are in Italy. Let’s get started!
How the need for alternative delivery modes arises: the development of eCommerce in Europe in 2023
According to Eurostat data, in 2023 in Europe 92% of people aged between 16 and 74 years used the Internet; of these, 69%, i.e. 1% more than in 2022, made at least one online purchase.
The highest shares of eShoppers in Europe were recorded in 2023 in the Netherlands (93%), Sweden (91%) and Denmark (90%). In Italy, the percentage stops at 58%. However, the figure shows that more than half of those who have access to the Internet today also use it to make purchases via the eCommerce channel.
Consequently, it is crucial to outline the main challenges that e-commerce poses and to identify possible solutions.
The main eCommerce challenge: last-mile deliveries
In contrast to traditional commerce, eCommerce involves – in most cases, i.e. when the customer does not choose Click&Collect as collection method – delivery to the final recipient. A process that necessarily entails some challenges and costs.
Of the entire supply chain, the so-called Supply Chain, the last mile – i.e. the final stage of delivery, which allows the goods ordered online to be delivered to the final recipient – is the most critical point, and therefore the greatest challenge to be faced, especially since it is often not managed as efficiently as possible, with negative repercussions for both merchants and end customers.
And that is not all. The last mile is also the most expensive stretch: it is responsible for 65% of the total transport costs. So how to make it efficient?
The solution to last mile delivery problems: Out Of Home deliveries
Today, out-of-home deliveries, i.e. alternatives to traditional home delivery, are certainly the most effective solution to streamline last-mile logistics, as they help to sustain B2C parcel volumes and the demand for increasingly flexible and consumer-focused last-mile services.
In fact, as written in the report ‘Out Of Home Delivery in Europe 2024’ by Last Mile Experts, Out Of Home deliveries can be up to 5 times more efficient per route than Home Delivery, providing a quality alternative for customers.
In the light of all this, the question must therefore be asked: where are we in Italy?
The state of the art of Out Of Home deliveries in Italy
Once again, it is the report Out Of Home Delivery in Europe 2024 that helps us answer this question.
With 53,220 unique pick-up points (and a total of 85,831 points shared between different couriers), Italy takes fifth place in Europe in the ‘Top five unique OOH markets’, preceded by Germany (62,760), France (63,370), the United Kingdom (66,300) and, in first place, Poland (79,590).
The overall growth over the previous year (2002) is 6.44%.
Density of Pick-up Points in Italy
The density of designated Pick-up Points for the collection and delivery of online orders in Italy is still relatively low compared to other countries: in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, for example, there are more than 40 Locker Points and online order pick-up shops per 10,000 inhabitants. In Poland, 61% of the population lives within a 7-minute walk of the nearest Pick-up Point, a figure which rises to 87% in urban areas. And in Italy?
The density of Pick-up Points in Italy in 2023 is 14 Points per 10,000 inhabitants. The margin for growth, therefore, is still high, especially in non-urban areas. So, let’s see how these points are distributed between PUDO (Network of authorised pick-up shops) and APM (Network of Lockers).
PUDO market in Italy
Italy’s presence in the ‘top 5 unique OOH markets’ is mainly due to the high number of PUDO markets (PUDO market, in Last Mile Experts’ report): 48,310 in total (1.17% more than in 2022), i.e. the third step of the podium behind the UK (50,910) and France (50,530). Germany and Poland are fourth and fifth, with 47,420 and 40,090 points respectively.
APM market in Italy
Poland leads the European ranking with 39,500 points, followed by the United Kingdom (15,390), Germany (15,340), France (12,840) and the Czech Republic (10,070).
From the point of view of the Locker (APM markets), however, the figures are not as flattering for Italy, which, together with Ireland, is the least developed market in Europe, but there is no shortage of good news.
The Locker market, the automatic lockers available 24/7 for the pick-up – and return – of goods purchased online, is in fact experiencing rapid development and in the near future the situation for Italy could change drastically, for the better. Suffice it to say that the 6.44% growth mentioned above is mainly driven by the development of the Locker Network, which in 2023 recorded an +118% increase from a total of 2,252 Lockers to 4,909.
How many Out Of Home shipments in Italy in 2023
The last figure that remains for us to analyse is therefore the number of Out Of Home shipments in Italy in 2023. In other words, how many eCommerce shipments are actually addressed to the Network of Lockers and Pick-up Points we analysed above?
This question was answered by the Delivery Index Report by Consorzio Netcomm and Poste Italiane, according to which in Italy in 2023 Out Of Home deliveries reached 18.5% of total eCommerce deliveries. In 2022 the percentage stood at 15.9%.
The advantages of Out Of Home deliveries
To understand why Out Of Home deliveries are increasingly popular and appreciated, both by merchants and eShoppers, one only has to look at the advantages they offer for both. These include:
- greater flexibility for online order collection;
- reduction in delivery time and costs;
- increased conversions;
- simpler and faster returns management;
- greater environmental sustainability.
If you are interested in discovering all the advantages of Out Of Home deliveries, you can read our dedicated in-depth article.
For all these reasons, the demand for Out Of Home deliveries is growing rapidly throughout Europe, including Italy. But how to stimulate it further? We will discuss this in our next in-depth article, in which we will provide you with 5 practical tips to incentivise your customers to choose Out Of Home deliveries instead of traditional home delivery. Keep following us so you don’t miss our practical guide!
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You can connect GEL Proximity using our dedicated libraries and APIs, or by downloading the module/plugin from your eCommerce software’s marketplace. GEL Proximity is a Pay per Ship service, i.e. you only pay for what you ship when the customer chooses the pick-up option at a Locker or Pick-up Point. Activate your account now!
