The Importance of Parcel Tracking

How Important Is Parcel Tracking to Your Business and Your Customers?

Parcel tracking provides reassurance for both businesses and customers while orders are in transit – especially at a point where the profitability of a sale is effectively on hold.

With more people relying on home delivery than ever before, transparency across the delivery journey has become a fundamental part of the customer experience. Customers want to know where their parcel is, when it will arrive, and what their options are if plans change.

To better understand how consumer behaviour has evolved, Whistl Parcels partnered with Statista to analyse changes in shopping habits and their impact on parcel deliveries across the UK.

The Growth of Online Shopping

The past few years have accelerated long‑term changes in consumer buying habits. With high street stores closed for extended periods, millions of shoppers turned to online retail to meet their everyday needs.

The number of digital buyers worldwide has grown year on year, and in response to the pandemic many traditional retailers rapidly shifted their strategies towards eCommerce. In 2020, 84% of the UK population shopped online, equating to around 57 million digital buyers. This figure was forecast to reach 59 million users by the end of 2021, highlighting that online shopping is firmly here to stay.

Source: Statista (forecast adjusted for the expected impact of COVID‑19), November 2020

Staying on the Right Track

Over 2.8 billion parcels were sent in the UK in the last financial year alone. As parcel volumes have increased, so too have customer expectations of courier services.

Fast, reliable delivery is now considered a given – but visibility throughout the delivery journey is what differentiates strong delivery experiences from poor ones.

Source: Statista, volumes of packages shipped in the UK (2013–2020)

The COVID‑19 Effect

As COVID‑19 reshaped daily life, many purchases traditionally made in-store quickly moved online. From household essentials to health products and groceries, consumers across multiple sectors adapted their buying behaviour almost overnight.

Agile businesses responded by rethinking their operations and delivery strategies, ensuring they could continue to meet customer demand in a rapidly changing environment.
Statista’s COVID‑19 Barometer 2020 highlighted a clear shift from offline to online purchasing across multiple countries as a direct result of the pandemic.

Source: Statista Survey “COVID‑19 Barometer 2020”; March–May 2020

What Other Consumer Drivers Are Influencing Change?

Convenience and cost remain powerful motivators for online shoppers:

• 65% of consumers prefer the option to have items delivered directly to their home

• 62% favour lower prices when choosing where to shop

Home delivery has become a primary reason consumers choose online shopping, reinforcing the importance of a smooth and transparent delivery experience.

Source: Statista Global Consumer Survey, 2020

Part and Parcel of the Service

As consumers order more items online, confidence in delivery plays a crucial role in purchase decisions. For more than 7 in 10 shoppers, parcel tracking improves confidence when buying online.
The ability to track an order reassures customers that their purchase is progressing as expected and reduces anxiety around delays or missed deliveries. As reliance on online retail grows, parcel tracking is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s an essential part of the service.

What Are the Benefits of Parcel Tracking?

Tracked parcel delivery offers clear advantages for both businesses and customers:

• Greater transparency and reassurance for customers

• Fewer delivery‑related customer service enquiries

• More control through in‑flight updates and delivery notifications

Customer service teams often spend significant time responding to “Where is my parcel?” queries. With 14% of customers citing poor service as a reason to stop buying from a brand, providing clear tracking information can help reduce friction, protect brand reputation and lower support costs.

Parcel tracking notifications typically show:

• When the item leaves the warehouse

• Where it is in the delivery journey

• Estimated delivery date and time

This visibility helps customers feel informed and in control, often removing the need to contact customer support altogether.

Delivering the goods

Delivery options and parcel tracking can directly influence conversion rates. Clear delivery choices at checkout, combined with reliable tracking, help turn online visitors into confident customers. By offering relevant delivery services and visibility from dispatch through to delivery, businesses can remove a key barrier to purchase.

Why Choose Whistl Parcels for Tracked Deliveries?

Whistl Parcels is a leading parcel carrier management specialist, delivering greater choice and expert support for growing eCommerce businesses.

With access to a wide range of carefully selected carrier partners, Whistl Parcels helps you offer flexible delivery options that meet customer expectations. Tracked delivery services include:

• 24‑hour and 48‑hour delivery options

• Real‑time parcel tracking

• Delivery diversion and inflight updates

By giving customers more visibility and control over their deliveries, Whistl Parcels helps businesses build trust, improve the customer experience and drive long‑term loyalty.