03-09-2025

Out-of-home deliveries have been gaining increasing prominence in consumer behavior, reflecting a clear trend toward greater convenience, flexibility, and sustainability in purchasing processes, with the prospect of increasing use of smart lockers and convenience points in relation to home deliveries. This is one of the conclusions of the second wave of the CTT 2025 Barometer , where, through several surveys, we took the pulse of the national e-commerce market and questioned several leading companies in the sector, across various categories.

Alternative home delivery solutions, such as smart lockers and convenience points , along with workplace delivery or click & collect , represent a decisive step toward increasing convenience and efficiency in e-commerce, as they allow consumers to choose the option that best suits their lifestyle. Recognizing this trend, the companies surveyed plan to diversify their delivery offerings in the short term, aligning with market expectations and reinforcing their commitment to an increasingly innovative and customer-centric service.

CTT, attentive to consumer needs, is following the trend toward convenience and proximity with the Collectt network, which integrates all parcel delivery and collection points in the Iberian Peninsula. With over 20,000 Pick & Drop locations , this network offers a practical and sustainable solution for pickup, shipping, and returns. In Portugal, Collectt consists of CTT Stores and Locations, Payshop Agents distributed throughout the country, and Locky lockers, ensuring easy and diverse access. In Spain, the network operates under the name Collectt Express, through strategic partnerships that ensure broad coverage throughout the country.

According to the analysis, Predictability now plays a central role in the delivery experience, with a score of 3.3, valued almost as highly as Speed and Free of Charge, traditionally considered priority attributes. This evolution reflects the importance consumers place on trust and transparency in the process, reinforcing the need for solutions that offer clear information on delivery times and statuses. For companies, this insight represents a strategic opportunity to invest in technologies and processes that ensure greater accuracy and proactive communication, raising quality standards and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Artificial Intelligence as a priority investment
Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics stand out as priority areas of innovation for the sector, considered by 34 of the 45 companies surveyed as the most relevant among the suggested options. Within this field, investments in Artificial Intelligence related to personalized product recommendations and Customer Service continue to be the highest priorities, with 4.6 and 4.2 points, respectively.

This preference reflects a clear commitment to technologies capable of optimizing processes, predicting behaviors, and improving decision-making, contributing to greater efficiency and personalized customer experience. Conversely, tools associated with the Metaverse have been losing traction as a medium-term investment priority, signaling a strategic realignment of companies toward solutions with a more immediate and tangible impact on the business. This trend confirms the growing importance of data analysis and applied intelligence as foundations for competitiveness and sustained innovation.

Alongside these, Sustainability also remains one of the areas of greatest emphasis, with the majority of panelists (25 out of 41 responses) indicating the integration of sustainable practices into their operations, whether through the use of recyclable packaging or the offering of environmentally responsible products, either already available or in development for launch next year. This commitment reflects the sector's growing awareness of the importance of reducing environmental impact and meeting the expectations of increasingly demanding consumers. However, there was an increase in the number of companies (7 panelists) that do not yet plan to implement sustainability initiatives in the coming year, which reinforces the need to continue raising awareness and supporting the adoption of these practices as a strategic and differentiating element in the market.

E-commerce continues to grow in 2025
E-commerce performance continues to show a positive trajectory, with 73.3% of panelists reporting online sales growth in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. It is noteworthy that 44.4% of the companies surveyed recorded increases of more than 10%, signaling the robustness and growing relevance of the digital channel. In contrast, only 8.9% of participants reported a decrease in online revenue during the period analyzed, which reinforces the global trend of e-commerce consolidating as a growth driver for companies and as a response to new consumer dynamics.

The outlook for the second half of 2025 remains highly optimistic regarding e-commerce performance. Among the 45 panelists surveyed, 38 anticipate growth in online sales in their sectors, confirming their confidence in the consolidation of the digital channel as a strategic business axis. Only one predicts a reduction in this indicator, reflecting an almost widespread consensus regarding the positive trend that should mark the end of the year. This data reinforces the relevance of e-commerce in market dynamics and the continued need for investment in innovation, customer experience, and logistics capacity to sustain this growth.

Source: CTT Group


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