Some of the UK's biggest employers are banning staff from receiving parcels at work as their post rooms have become inundated with goods ordered on-line, according to UK media reports.
Firms such as Citigroup, HSBC and the Department for Transport are now demanding that workers make alternative arrangements for online purchases dispatched to their workplace.
They cite cost and security issues resulting from handling thousands of personal items on a weekly basis.
However, workers argue that they are obliged to have internet purchases delivered to a workplace address because they are not at home to receive them due to factors such as longer working hours and restricted delivery slots.
The Times reported that last year, more than 130,000 parcels were delivered to Canary Wharf, the financial centre, in east London.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Matt Maer, Director Group Security, Canary Wharf Group said:
“One Canada Square alone receives 450 deliveries every 24 hours, and 11,000 parcels or letters are delivered every month.
“We estimate about 30% of these are personal packages which adds to the cost of managing a service at such high volumes.”
Transport for London announced earlier this year that retail deliveries are leading to traffic difficulties in the capital.
Sophie McCarthy, Retail nalyst at Conlumino, told the Daily Mail that while packages are still being delivered to home addresses – and increasingly to click-and-collect points – workplaces are seeing an increase.
She said: 'Because online retail is growing so much even a small percentage of those being delivered will have a big impact.
'If you are a company that already receives a lot of post it is doubling the work of post rooms.'
She added that the extra physical space needed to store the parcels and the added costs of processing are just two of the problems faced by employers. Those who do allow staff to have parcels delivered are now offering it as a perk.
Sales and Marketing Manager at specified one hour delivery courier service, On the dot, Laura-Jayne Winning, told CEP Research that until consumers are offered more choice of delivery options, they will continue to demand office deliveries for online purchases.
“And it’s a growing market: The British Retail Consortium's Online Sales Monitor showed that online sales grew by more than 14.7% in July compared to the previous year, outstripping overall retail sales and demonstrating the huge opportunity for retailers willing to embrace digital innovation to offer customers more convenience,” she underlined.
"Both large and small retailers need to have a competitive e-commerce offering if they are to meet evolving consumer expectations, but many are offering a below par home delivery experience. We recently undertook research showing that some Londoners have waited indoors for up to eight and a half hours for retail deliveries, so it’s no surprise people are opting to have items shipped to their workplace."
