This festive season, nearly half (48%) of Brits said they are planning to rely on delivery workers for last minute Christmas presents, as it is revealed that two-thirds of people are ordering more than they did pre-lockdowns.

A study from commercial motor insurance provider Zego reveals the extent to which Brits have become dependent on delivery and courier services, with nearly half (44%) of the population currently having groceries and clothes delivered ahead of Christmas despite high street stores being open.

Deliveries of clothing, gifts and takeaways have increased the most since the onset of the pandemic, entertainment has been high on the list too with a third (32%) saying they had relied on delivery workers for books and electronics, such as TVs, smartphones and games consoles.

In 2021, the UK saw a 75% rise in online shopping, with a third (31%) of people stating delivery workers have been a lifeline when they were sick or when products were out of stock in a shop. However, it is not just gifts and clothing - beating queues, low stock and busy supermarkets a quarter (23%) have relied on delivery workers for last minute food and ingredients during lockdowns.

The research also found that a huge number of Brits turned to delivery work during the height of the pandemic, with nearly four million people taking on delivery or courier jobs. A trend that is continuing as thousands of more people take up delivery work in the run up to Christmas.

Zego provides insurance to a large number of fleet businesses and serves over a third of the food delivery market in the UK. For this research, the insurtech surveyed 2,000 UK adults of varying demographics across the UK to understand delivery habits post-Covid.

Sten Saar, CEO and Co-Founder of Zego, said: “Delivery and courier services increased two-fold during the pandemic, playing a vital role for British people. Despite a return to normality, it is evident that people are still reliant on these services, and with Christmas just around the corner, we expect to see more drivers on the road, bringing gifts and groceries to millions of households."

“Zego is proud to insure such a large proportion of this market, powering opportunities for drivers and riders, whilst rewarding them with more flexible and affordable insurance.”

Zego, founded in 2016, is a commercial motor insurance company that powers opportunities for businesses, from entire fleets of vehicles to self-employed drivers and riders. It offers a range of cover options from flexible pay-as-you-go insurance to annual policies, and so far, has provided more than 17 million insurance policies and covered more than 200,000 vehicles in six countries. The company recently raised $150 million in Series C funding and became the UK’s first insurtech unicorn.

About Zego

Zego is a commercial motor insurance provider that powers opportunities for businesses, from entire fleets of vehicles to self-employed drivers and riders. It combines best-in-class technology with sophisticated data sources to offer insurance products that save businesses time and money.

Since its inception, Zego has believed that the problem with traditional insurance is that it holds businesses back. It’s too expensive and time consuming, and it no longer suits businesses who use vehicles to earn money. Zego’s products represent a solution to this problem for businesses based across the UK, Europe and beyond.

So far, Zego has raised over $200 million in funding and was the first UK insurtech to be valued at over $1 billion. It was also the first to be awarded its own insurance license and recently won Tech Company of the Year 2020.

To find out more about careers at Zego visit - www.zego.com/careers