InPost research: Gifting all about showing love, but too often hassle of sending a parcel gets in the way

New research from parcel lockers specialist, InPost, reveals that while 66% of Brits say expressing love is their main reason for gifting, too many are put off by the hassle of traditional delivery methods, with millions of gifts going unsent each year because sending parcels is often expensive, inconvenient or unreliable.

The survey, involving 2,148 Brits, also showed that: Eight in ten of the UK public struggle with missed deliveries, making gift giving stressful and inconvenient; Within a normal week, at least one parcel delivery time is not suitable for two-thirds of the UK population; 93% of the UK public feel positive when they receive a gift.

With their partner and mother top of the list for sending gifts (52% and 45% respectively), and Mother’s Day just around the corner (Sunday 30th March), InPost is calling on the people of the UK to show appreciation and give generously as part of its ‘Send a Little Love” campaign.

This comes as InPost launches Send, which allows consumers to post parcels from any InPost Out of Home point (locker or shop) and choose to send them on to an OOH point or directly to an address. Without the need for printers or labels, customers generate a QR code via the app, and then scan at the locker or shop. This is fully tracked throughout and visible in the InPost app for both senders and receivers.

Neil Kuschel, CEO at InPost UK comments: “Gifting is all about showing love, but too often the hassle of sending a parcel gets in the way. Our research shows that while 64% of Brits would prefer to send a gift rather than give it in person, concerns over high costs, delays, and lost or damaged parcels are preventing 63% from doing so.”

“The survey also shows that receiving gifts can be just as challenging, with missed deliveries and inconvenient delivery timings contributing to the anxiety consumers feel when being gifted. That’s why we’ve launched our new delivery service, Send, which canalleviate these challenges as it puts both senders and receivers of parcels in control for the first time. No queues, no labels, no missed deliveries causing gifting anxiety - just a simple, reliable way to ‘Send a Little Love’ whenever it means the most.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.