109m Parcels Expected to be Delivered in Belgium, Luxembourg During Holiday Season

An independent study, conducted by Effigy Consulting and published by Federal Express Corporation (FedEx), has predicted that parcel carriers will collectively deliver 6.2 billion parcels across Europe between October and December 2024, i.e. 9% more than during the same period in 2023.

In the BeLux (Belgium and Luxembourg) region, this volume is expected to total 109 million parcels, i.e. 7.6% more than in 2023.

The independent study saw Effigy Consulting analyse its database of courier, express and parcel services from 500,000 data points on over 300 carriers in 41 countries, including Belgium and Luxembourg.

The data marks a significant increase on the European figures for 2023 of 5.7 billion parcels in Europe, representing an increase of 7.7 million in the number of parcels in Belgium and Luxembourg alone.

As reported by FedEx, this increase is driven by a rise in e-commerce activities, with 78.5% (86 million) of shipments in BeLux sent directly to consumers. The seasonal peak, which includes Black Friday and the holiday season, is a critical period for European retailers and manufacturers. For the Black Friday period alone, the study predicted a growth of 9.4% in the BeLux region this year compared to 2023. About 30% of all 2023 volume in Europe was delivered in the last three months of the year, highlighting the importance of the so-called "golden quarter", which is 7% higher than the average of the other three quarters.

Business-to-business shipments also peak during this season, when stores are restocked and sites prepare for their busiest season. Just under a fifth (19.5%) of business in Europe is expected to be business-to-business shipments, and almost a tenth (8%) is consumer-to-consumer shipments; presents are sent to friends and family across the continent. The remaining 2% are consumer-to-business shipments.

Marius Penninks, Vice President Network Operations at FedEx, commented: "The end of the year is a crucial time for Belgian and Luxembourg businesses, many of which rely heavily on logistics services to meet growing demand. This year, demand is once again on the rise in the run-up to the holidays, with major holidays such as Cyber ​​Monday and Black Friday also gaining popularity in our countries. Together with our customers, we are ready to handle the extra workload, ensuring that packages arrive on time and everyone can enjoy this festive season without worry."

To illustrate the magnitude of the peak, all parcels delivered in Europe would stretch 1.85 million kilometres, a distance equivalent to more than twice the round trip between the Earth and the Moon, according to FedEx. The total weight of goods transported across Europe is expected to be almost 7.5 million tonnes, which is equivalent to around 15 kg for every European inhabitant. In BeLux, the total weight represents over 130,000 tonnes.

The countries with the largest volumes of deliveries during the peak season are the UK (1.3 billion) and Germany (1.1 billion), followed by France (524 million), with an average of twelve parcels delivered per individual in the UK and EU over the three-month period. The BeLux region is the ninth largest market in Europe in terms of volume (109 million), behind the Netherlands (226 million) and ahead of Ireland (45 million).

Europe is expected to import more goods from outside the continent than it exports, with almost 200 million shipments from China and the US, for example, compared to 75 million shipments abroad. However, almost half a billion of the parcels shipped this season in Europe are expected to be exports, with European-based companies shipping almost 500 million parcels to other countries, both inside and outside the EU.

Marius Penninks concluded: "This study also shows that Europe's role as an exporting region should not be overlooked, highlighting the importance of having excellent intercontinental and intra-European air and road logistics networks. At FedEx, we also leverage the data flowing across our physical networks to support businesses during peak periods, with each package scanned 20 to 25 times and leveraging that data for critical monitoring and response purposes."