Increase in parcels being left on doorsteps in Germany

In anticipation of a package, German consumers are increasingly agreeing to have shipments left on their doorstep. Then it will be ready when you get home and you don't have to collect it from the parcel shop, parcel machine or neighbor.

As the market leader DHL announced, the logistics company in Germany has more than ten million permanent storage location agreements, ten percent more than a year ago. Growth had been similarly high in previous years. Competitor Hermes has reported a 30 percent increase in storage permits since August 2025; the company does not provide an absolute number. GLS and DPD also offer the storage function and report a stable share.

Risk lies with the recipient

With the agreements, a parcel recipient agrees in advance to the parcel being left in front of the front door, in the garden or in the carport. However, the package is no longer insured once it is dropped off by the courier - if it is stolen, the recipient bears the risk. The risk appears to be low: According to information, the number of complaints about storage packages at DHL is no higher than for other packages.

The parcel service provider GLS “expressly recommends that you only specify suitable storage locations where the parcel recipients believe there is no risk”. There would be challenges if publicly accessible parking locations were chosen.

Where the storage location should be - and where not

The storage location should be on the recipient's property, protected from the weather and not visible from outside, DHL recommends. The online retailer Amazon, which has some of its shipments delivered by its own delivery service, warns against “unauthorized glances”. Amazon does not provide any figures for storage permits.

According to DHL, the service is used particularly frequently in residential areas with single-family homes and in rural areas. But this reception option is also becoming more popular in cities - the courtyards or bicycle sheds of apartment buildings are suitable storage locations. “The storage location is one of the most popular receiving options,” says DHL manager Benjamin Rasch.

The storage permit can be issued permanently or only once for a package. DPD says that around a quarter of shipments from companies to consumers (B2C, business-to-consumer) are currently delivered on the basis of a drop-off permit. This proportion has been stable since the beginning of 2025.

Competitor GLS reports that it has around two million permanent parking permits, of which 1.5 million are used regularly. Around 15 percent of the total delivery volume in 2025 and so far in 2026 were delivered via a drop-off permit.

Parcel services save time and therefore money

The storage agreements are also an advantage for logisticians, as they can ultimately save companies time. The average delivery time per package drops because the delivery person no longer has to wait until someone opens the door and takes the package or - even worse - no one opens it and he has to take the package back with him to come back the next day.

The filing agreements simplified the delivery process, increased the delivery success rate and helped avoid additional delivery trips, according to GLS. “This allows delivery processes to be made more efficient.” Many customers appreciated the storage in a safe place and preferred it “to trying to deliver again on another day,” says Amazon.

However, the storage function has limits: Hermes points out that online retailers can exclude the storage function for particularly high-quality or sensitive goods in order to ensure the security of the shipment.

At Amazon, the delivery person takes a photo of the package that has been placed, which the recipient can view in the app - then they know where the shipment is. DPD also relies on such photo documentation, which creates additional transparency and traceability. DHL and Hermes do not take photos when filing, GLS is working on such a function.