According to Quadient’s ‘2025 Parcel Theft Report’ the value of parcels stolen in the UK has almost doubled to reach £666.5 million, up from £376.6 million in 2024. With 4.83 million UK homes affected, this report highlights how exposed last-mile delivery has become for logistics businesses.

Generally, the most vulnerable to porch piracy are those living in flats, because a thief can often take multiple packages at once. However, as this report shows, all types of homes have been affected in recent years. When a parcel is stolen, customers become frustrated, untrusting and can often leave negative feedback online for the retailer involved – something no business wants in this day and age of reviews and social media. And, if this isn’t bad enough, the additional cost for replacements, refunds, and secondary deliveries also lands at the retailers’ feet. Unfortunately, because retailers are footing the bill for replacement services, their profit margins end up taking a hit. And, whilst larger companies may be able to absorb this, smaller businesses, with thinner profit margins, aren’t as lucky.

One of the core issues is the pressure placed on delivery teams. In the best and ideal case, a delivery team would deliver a parcel to a recipient at home, and accept a signature to indicate proof of delivery. However, given the time constraints that many delivery teams face, sometimes delivery teams will just drop the parcel on a doorstep without accepting proof of delivery. This type of ‘dropping and running’ creates easy opportunities for theft and erodes customer confidence.

Logistics operators can address this by strengthening delivery precision and visibility with real-time delivery appointment software. This technology allows organisations to provide more accurate estimated time of arrivals (ETAs) to consumers and allows the tracking of a delivery as it occurs, keeping customers up to date on their deliveries so they can take place when they are home. Structured delivery windows also play a vital role. Allowing a consumer to select a delivery slot that is convenient for them means they are more likely to be around to accept delivery of the package, eliminating any risk of potential theft. For logistics businesses, enhanced notification systems add further protection. Customers can receive automated notifications via SMS/RCS or email at each stage of the delivery process.

With theft escalating rapidly, especially around Christmas, it is time for logistics providers to invest in proven delivery appointment software to ensure they are delivering at the date and time the consumers expect and to secure collection points that help to protect these valuable parcels.