Some eye-opening new research has revealed the best and worst parcel delivery companies in the UK ahead of Christmas.
With the festive season fast approaching and many already in the process of Christmas shopping, Citizens Advice has released its annual parcel league tables, ranking the UK’s five major delivery companies in order from best to worst based on their overall performance.
From chasing missing parcels, and battling arduous complaints systems, to even having accessibility requests ignored, Citizens Advice found through its latest research that more than a third (37%) faced issues with their most recent delivery – which works out to roughly around 15 million people, a new record.
The research – which was carried out in a ‘snapshot’ one-month period – reveals that the rate of parcel problems remains at the highest levels seen in half a decade.
Now in its fifth year, the charity’s league table looks at the top five delivery companies by parcel volume and measures their performance against criteria to determine who is the best.
The criteria each company is measured against includes customer service, delivery problems, and how well they meet accessibility needs, such as people needing louder knocking or longer to answer the door.
This year’s parcel league table shows Royal Mail scored the highest with 3.25 out of five stars overall, while Yodel slips to the bottom with just two out of five stars.
UK’s top 5 parcel delivery companies
Royal Mail – 3.25 out of 5 stars
Amazon Logistics – 3 out of 5 stars
DPD – 2.5 out of 5 stars
Evri – 2.5 out of 5 stars
Yodel – 2 out of 5 stars
Citizens Advice found through its new research that accessibility was the worst performing area overall, and this is despite Ofcom’s new condition requiring firms to give disabled consumers the opportunity to report their accessibility needs.
There was also customer service failures, with almost half (47%) of the people who had a problem with their initial delivery going on to have further issues trying to resolve the problem.
Research found that the most common problems customers faced with their last delivery include the driver leaving before they had time to get to the door (29%), their parcel being left in an insecure location (24%), and parcels arriving late (24%).
The UK’s best and worst parcel delivery companies have been named / Credit: Evri (Press Picture)
“Ofcom has passed the parcel of responsibility for long enough,” commented Dame Clare Moriarty, who is the Chief Executive of Citizens Advice.
“We’ve been doing the work of the regulator for five years now by holding parcel companies to account and speaking up for consumers who are bearing the brunt of persistently poor service.
“Our league table has tracked parcel problems from warehouse to doorstep. We continue to see millions of people chasing lost parcels, having their accessibility needs ignored and hitting a brick wall when they try to complain.
“The question now is whether the regulator will take tougher action to improve the parcel market once and for all.”
Leeds has been named as one of the most underrated city breaks in the UK by Time Out.
It's time to cancel your city break to London, Edinburgh or wherever you think the grass is greener...because Leeds is now the place to beat.
A new article by Time Out has crowned Leeds as one of the most underrated locations for a UK city break, and we couldn't agree more.
The article praises Leeds for it's fabulous independent music venues, sprawling green spaces and standout restaurants.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
In fact, they perfectly paint out how your city break in Leeds could look. From seeing a gig at the Brudenell Social Club and enjoying dinner at the critically acclaimed Highland Laddie, to drinking at The Domino Club and exploring the 700-acre fields of Roundhay Park.
But don't just take our word for it, here's what the piece had to say about our wonderful city: "Anyone who has ever lived in Leeds already knows its brilliance. From unrivalled independent music venues to sprawling green spaces to quietly outstanding restaurants, this Yorkshire city has it all.
"But outside of God’s Own County, it’s not necessarily the first place people think of when planning a UK day trip or staycation...For starters, it’s the home of Brudenell Social Club, which Time Out recently crowned the greatest live music venue in the entire UK.
"Leeds’ food scene is something to behold, too. Bavette, with its perfectly prepared French fare, is Time Out’s favourite restaurant there (it recently earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its excellent value), closely followed by the uber-cool Empire Cafe, the wondrous Ox Club and the intimate Sushi Nakamura."
We agree with absolutely everything being said, and it's got us craving a city break in our very own city. You can read the full article here.
A look inside the trendy Catalonian café and bar coming to Sheffield
Thomas Melia
There's a brand-new Catalonian-inspired café and bar venue coming to Sheffield where you can grab a coffee or a pint at the same time.
This is Cats, a combined café and bar space that's making its way to Broomhill and offering anyone visiting the chance to experience a taste of Spain without having to fork out the cost of a plane ticket.
Catalonia is famous for many notable like impressive architecture such as La Sagrada Familia, legendary performers like Rosalía and phenomenal all-day hospitality which this new site is hoping to emulate.
Although we might not be able to judge their skills as vocalists, when it comes to construction and deconstruction they're excelling, as can be seen in their renovation progress documented across their socials.
Taking shape in the former Nibbles Pizza site on Ashdell Road, although you might not be able to order a 12 inch meat feast anymore, Cats will be offering a range of interesting wines, beers and bar snacks.
In newly-released rendered images, a fitting wine-red colour has been used throughout both interior and exterior, the latter having a small seating adjacent to the front door.
Inside, you'll find lightbulbs dotted around the almost-180 degree-spanning window seating with small warm lights to set the mood.
Directly opposite will be the bar with a muted-concrete countertop that has a coffee machine on one end and draught beers on the other - the ultimate dream.
There's even a cellar area downstairs with banquette seating and those familiar tabletop lamps which help keep the atmosphere as relaxed and intimate as intended.
As the name may suggest, this place isn't exclusively for feline lovers as this Sheffield venue is promising to be a dog-friendly site stocking 'Cats' branded dog treats and water bowls.
Of course, this won't be exactly how this café and bar space will end up looking like as working with an older may pose some potential challenges, but these plans shouldn't differ too much.
We can't wait to get our claws on a glass of vino.
Emily Sergeant -
19th November 2025 
