Residents of Bangor, Wales, search for information about missing parcels more often than those in any other UK city, according to a new analysis of online search data.
The research, by courier marketplace Porta Delivery, ranked UK cities using the average search volume for more than 500 keywords related to missing parcels. It analysed searches linked to major delivery companies, including Royal Mail, Evri, UPS, and Amazon, with figures normalised per 100,000 residents to enable fair comparisons between cities of different sizes.
Top 15 UK cities most worried about missing parcels
- Bangor: 818.95
- Chichester: 750.95
- Truro: 723.16
- Ripon: 703.28
- Lichfield: 695.68
- Salisbury: 664.01
- Ely: 647.21
- Wells: 557.39
- Newry: 555.30
- Stirling: 536.36
- Lincoln: 506.22
- Nottingham: 499.24
- Cambridge: 493.76
- Bath: 458.56
- Norwich: 453.43
Newry was the only Northern Irish city to appear in the ranking, while Stirling was the sole Scottish city to feature.
Royal generated the highest level of concern in online searches. The most searched term nationwide was “royal mail missing parcel”, with an average monthly search volume of 6,958. The five most common parcel-related searches across the UK were all variations of this phrase. The findings come as Royal Mail remains under scrutiny over missed delivery targets.
Other delivery companies also attracted significant search interest. “dpd missing parcel” recorded an average of 1,367 monthly searches, while “evri missing parcel” received 1,104.
Missing parcels can result from a range of factors, including the distance from distribution centres, delivery routes, local infrastructure, and operational challenges that may delay or disrupt deliveries.
Each major courier operates its own UK distribution network, and the scale of that network can influence delivery efficiency. Royal Mail operates more than 37 mail centres and seven regional distribution centres, while DPD has more than 80 depots, Evri operates over 500 UK sites, and Amazon has more than 100 locations across the country. As parcel volumes continue to grow and increasingly overtake letter deliveries, robust logistics networks have become an important part of maintaining reliable service.
Ed Spence, CEO and co-founder of Porta Delivery, said: “Getting a delivery is stressful enough without worrying that it might not arrive. People often have to take time off work or rearrange their schedules around delivery windows, which are typically between two and four hours long.
“What stands out is that Bangor, a city of just 18,000 people, generates the highest per capita searches for missing parcels in the UK. That tells you something about how delivery infrastructure is still heavily concentrated around major urban centres.
“Many companies have introduced more accurate tracking, although updates often do not become available until the parcel is within the next 10 stops. Even with tracking, this data suggests UK residents remain concerned about receiving the items they have paid for and that delivery companies need to do better.”
The findings suggest concerns about parcel delivery reliability remain widespread across the UK, particularly in smaller cities where distribution networks may be less extensive.