Convenience stores offering parcel services are set to benefit from growing demand for out-of-home (OOH) delivery and returns, with new research showing that nearly half of UK online shoppers now predominantly return unwanted purchases via parcel shops.
According to DHL eCommerce's 2026 E-Commerce Trends Report, 46 per cent of UK shoppers primarily use parcel shops or convenience stores to return online purchases, compared with 25 per cent who use parcel lockers and 29 per cent who arrange home collections. The findings underline the increasingly important role convenience retailers are playing in the e-commerce ecosystem.
The latest figures also suggest a shift from last year's report. In DHL's 2025 study, parcel shops accounted for 57 per cent of UK returns, while home collections represented 24 per cent and parcel lockers 19 per cent. Although parcel shops remain the dominant returns channel, parcel lockers have gained significant ground over the past year.
The report found that out-of-home services are becoming increasingly embedded in shopper behaviour. Across the UK, 19 per cent of consumers now predominantly have purchases delivered to an out-of-home location, split between parcel lockers (12 per cent) and parcel shops (7 per cent), while 80 per cent still favour home delivery. However, almost four in 10 shoppers globally now want the ability to redirect deliveries to out-of-home locations if needed, rising to nearly half of European consumers.
For missed deliveries, parcel shops are the preferred redirection option after a safe place, with 26 per cent of shoppers choosing a local collection point compared with 18 per cent opting for a parcel locker and 13 per cent preferring to change the delivery day.
The findings come as separate research from Collect+ revealed that 21 per cent of shoppers aged 25-34 would rather collect overseas purchases from a local shop or parcel point than receive them at home, highlighting the growing relevance of convenience-based parcel services.
DHL's report suggests the trend extends beyond traditional e-commerce into the fast-growing consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace sector. More than half of shoppers have now sold items through online marketplaces, with convenient drop-off points becoming a key part of the process.
Among UK consumers who sell goods online, 36 per cent primarily use parcel shops to send items, compared with 29 per cent using parcel lockers and 35 per cent arranging collections. Overall, 65 per cent of UK marketplace sellers now use out-of-home locations to dispatch sold items.
The growth in marketplace activity is being driven by both sustainability and value considerations. Across Europe, 57 per cent of consumers have sold items through online marketplaces, while millennials remain the most active participants in the second-hand economy.
DHL also found that delivery and returns options are becoming increasingly important in purchase decisions. Seven in 10 shoppers said they would abandon an online basket if their preferred delivery or returns options were not available at checkout.
Pablo Ciano, chief executive of DHL eCommerce, said retailers must adapt to changing consumer expectations around convenience and flexibility.
"The ability to understand and respond to customer needs has always defined success, but our new e-commerce trend report shows that AI is now redefining that advantage at hyperspeed," he said. "In this new era, the winners will be those who move fastest – and translate that speed into superior customer experiences."
The report also highlighted continued growth in cross-border shopping, with international purchases rising to 66 per cent of online shoppers globally, up from 60 per cent a year earlier. More than three in 10 online orders are now shipped internationally, creating further opportunities for parcel networks and local collection points.