{"id":32596,"date":"2023-11-15T08:00:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T08:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.parcelpending.com\/?p=32596"},"modified":"2025-05-19T17:57:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T17:57:36","slug":"uks-plague-of-porch-pirates-getting-worse-with-more-than-200-million-worth-of-parcels-stolen-in-the-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.parcelpending.com\/en-gb\/blog\/uks-plague-of-porch-pirates-getting-worse-with-more-than-200-million-worth-of-parcels-stolen-in-the-last-year\/","title":{"rendered":"UK\u2019s plague of \u2018porch pirates\u2019 getting worse, with more than \u00a3200 million-worth of parcels stolen in the last year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quadient freedom of Information requests shows plague of \u2018porch piracy\u2019 getting worse as parcel theft surges 57% in twelve months, spiking over Black Friday and Christmas.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

London, UK,\u00a0 15th November 2023 <\/strong><\/p>\n

The UK\u2019s parcel theft problem is getting worse and \u2018porch pirates\u2019 will pose huge problems across Black Friday and Christmas, according to data from technology company Quadient<\/a> (Euronext Paris: QDT). A series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to UK police forces show parcel theft has risen 57% in the last year. The average reported value of a stolen parcel is \u00a366.50. Given 11% of UK households reported a parcel theft in the last year<\/a>, the data uncovers a hidden economy of \u00a3206 million in stolen goods.<\/p>\n

Consumers and companies are heading into the busiest period for porch piracy. Most reports made to the police about parcel theft are made in December (15% of the annual total) and November (12%). The data also shows parcel theft is most likely to occur between 9am and 5pm, and 22\u201334-year-olds filed the most reports to the Police. This may be because young professionals are most likely to be returning to the office for at least some of the working week \u2013 leaving parcels unattended and ripe for interception by thieves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plague of porch piracy has intensified during the cost-of-living crisis, with nationwide parcel theft increasing more than 500% since 2019. Unattended items on doorsteps are just waiting to be stolen,” said Katia Bourgeais-Cr\u00e9mel, EVP Parcel Locker Solutions Europe at Quadient. \u201cThe number reported to the police could have increased in part due to better awareness of the importance of reporting. However, when you consider more than one in ten households had a parcel stolen last year, porch piracy is clearly a big problem for businesses and consumers across the UK. This is leaving retailers and couriers spending time and money replacing stolen deliveries and adding strain to customer services. In households that do their Christmas shopping online, retailers\u2019 brand perception could take a serious knock if people are left without a present to unwrap on Christmas morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FOI also laid bare which regions are most impacted by parcel theft:<\/p>\n