Global parcel volume reached 87 billion in 2018, according to the most recent Parcel Shipping Index from global ecommerce solution company, Pitney Bowes. This is the highest number since the Index was established in 2013.

The research also found that online shoppers in Australia are ranked second globally when it comes to shopping internationally with cross-border ecommerce up 7.3% year-on-year primarily from America, China and the UK.

Further, Australia shipped 864 million parcels in 2018, and on average, 34 parcels were shipped per person. Globally, 2,760 parcels are shipped every second; in Australia, 2.36 million parcels are shipped per day.

Pitney Bowes Australia and New Zealand country manager and director, Stephen Darracott said global parcel revenues continue to benefit from the explosive impact of ecommerce, but it isn’t just online shoppers boosting the industry.

“We know from our clients’ own behaviours that office sending is increasing in Australia, especially as ecommerce increases Australian business visibility globally. What’s more, the boost for small businesses showcases the growing consumer appetite and increasing need for competitive offerings,” he said.

The Shipping Index also revealed that optimising the ‘last mile’ delivery is now a key concern and motivation for innovation for almost all shipping businesses, especially with consumer expectations shifting from two-day delivery, to one day and now even two hours.

Solutions such as intelligent parcel lockers are becoming the norm, however artificial intelligence and blockchain could also impact change in optimising last mile deliveries.