Number of damaged parcels landing on doorsteps soars - items are arriving smashed and boxes torn

More parcels are getting damaged on delivery than ever before, according to a study which has seen issues rising by a third in the last year. Customers are getting home to find torn delivery boxes and also cases where the item they ordered was smashed within the packaging.

Research, among 2,000 consumers, found they typically received four parcels with cosmetic or fundamental damage in 2024, compared to three previously. Nearly a third (32 per cent) make an online purchase that is delivered to their home or workplace on a weekly basis.

While more people are ordering online at least once a month, an increase of 13 per cent. But 53 per cent reported receiving damaged goods from online purchases in the past 12 months. It also emerged 57 per cent would be hesitant to shop with a retailer again if they received a broken or damaged item.

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Ashwin Moorthy, head of design and innovation at DS Smith, which commissioned the research, said: “People are excited for Black Friday bargains, but each broken delivery bursts that bubble and contributes to an annual multi-billion-pound problem. From home entertainment tech to weekly shops and flowerpots, these days we order just about anything online, but products can be dropped, impacted, squashed, crushed and shaken on route.

“This means they need cleverly designed packaging so people aren’t left disappointed with an online order that arrives in pieces.” The research also found 29 per cent have taken in parcels where products were smashed within the packaging, and 27 per cent reported torn boxes.

Food and drink items were the most common deliveries to arrive damaged (15 per cent), along with household items like crockery and glassware (15 per cent) and entertainment products like books or games (13 per cent). While 10 per cent have taken in damaged health and beauty products, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

The highest value of items received in sub-par condition was, on average, £125.91, although some were left sad due to products costing upwards of £500. The research also found that consumers are receiving damaged items of considerable value.

The average value of items received in a bad condition is £56.13, meaning the total bill for damages amounts to approximately £2.3 billion, the equivalent of 2.9 million iPhone 16s.

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