The Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index reveals U.S. parcel volume grew 37% year-over-year, reaching 20 billion, up from 15 billion in 2019. In 2020, around 640 parcels were shipped per second, compared to 466 in 2019. Between 2015-2020, U.S. parcel volume doubled from 10 billion to 20 billion.
“Every year, the Pitney Bowes Shipping Index offers unrivalled industry insight. For the U.S., the index for 2020 reveals record volumes and extraordinary growth to mark a year like no other,” says Jason Dies, EVP and president, sending technology solutions, Pitney Bowes. “A 37% increase in parcel volume year-over-year compares with an average growth of 10% over the past five years. Twenty billion parcels represent an average of 61 parcels generated per U.S citizen. Going forward, accelerated investment in infrastructure, technology and digital capabilities will help carriers address surging demand, deliver at scale and cope with the unpredictable.”
From BusinessWire:
- Looking ahead, Pitney Bowes forecasts U.S. parcel volume will nearly double by 2026, reaching 32-39 billion, with a 10% CAGR from 2021-2025.
- The rise in e-commerce had a huge impact on 2020’s monumental parcel shipping volumes. BOXpoll by Pitney Bowes found 41% of consumers plan to continue to shop online more than they did before the pandemic, underscoring the record growth of e-commerce over the past 17 months.
“The pandemic had an enormous impact on the growth of e-commerce, driving the most significant shift from in-store to online shopping ever experienced,” says Dies. “And, as we head into this year’s holiday season, consumer preferences for online shopping show no signs of slowing down.”