Consumer Behavior

Nearly 50% of consumers will pay for drone delivery

Photo by istock.com

May 23, 2022

Nearly half, 48%, of consumers are willing to pay more money for drone delivery if it means getting items in an hour.

That's a prime finding of a Smarty survey regarding American shopping preferences and reveals 43% of consumers polled are not concerned about drone delivery and 51% would be "less concerned" about drone delivery if delivery was an hour or less.

The survey findings illustrate that consumers will embrace faster, drone-based delivery and are willing to pay more for convenience, according to a press release.

When considering the types of goods they might obtain via one-hour drone delivery, consumers chose a range of items, including:

Food – 40%.
Prescriptions and medications – 38%.
Batteries – 30%.
A smartphone, if theirs was lost, stolen or broken – 30%.
Clothing – 28%.
COVID tests – 25%.
A new credit card, if theirs was lost or stolen – 22%.
Alcohol – 21%.
Their paycheck – 20%.
Baby and/or children's products – 13%.

"As technology advances in the shopping industry, delivery methods might soon change to include alternate forms of transportation like drone deliveries," Vipin Porwal, CEO and founder of Smarty, said in the release. "But consumers don't seem concerned about technological advances as much as they are about receiving their purchases, especially if it means they get their products faster."

Consumers did express some concerns about drones in the survey. Top worries include items being ruined by drone travel (51%), the drone breaking down so consumers won't receive their items (58%), drone delivery to the wrong address (58%), the drone breaking down and consumers not getting a refund (54%), and the drone leaving items unattended, making it easier for porch bandits to steal packages (54%), as well as the lack of human interaction with delivery people (31%).

Some 37% of respondents were "worried" or "extremely worried" about having packages stolen. In fact, many would be willing to pay more for delivery protection, and 63% of those surveyed say they would pay for shipping insurance, if offered, to cover theft or damage. In addition, 52% say they would pay for a service that offered product protection to ensure that packages didn't get stolen or damaged.