Consumers in the US are accustomed to getting what they want when they want it. And that trend is expected to continue as businesses like Amazon and Wal-Mart introduce same-day delivery using pilot-less drones, according to a new study of retail trends.
The Future of Retail 2016 study, conducted by the consulting group Walker Sands, found that 79 percent of consumers would opt to pay extra for done delivery if it meant they could get the packages they ordered within one hour of placing their order online.
And 74 percent of consumers polled said they would be willing to pay up to $10 for the drone delivery service.
FAA Approval Anticipated
While drone delivery is still in the development stage, many of the biggest online retailers in the US are already experimenting with the devices. The biggest obstacle remaining may be the Federal Aviation Administration, which has yet to approve drones for commercial deliveries in the US, which many industry analysts expect to happen by 2019.
Still, 4 out of 10 consumers polled by Walker Sands said they expect drone delivery to be a reality sooner than that, closer to within the next two years.
The trend towards faster and faster delivery systems is the latest development in the shift from traditional brick and mortar stores and shopping malls to online ordering. According to a new study by UPS, for the first time ever more products are purchased online than are bought in actual stores.
’30 Minutes of Less’ Delivery
That has led to a sort of arms race between online retailers to see who can be the first to break the “30 minutes or less” delivery barrier for online ordering, and drones that drop off packages on consumers doorsteps seem to be the cutting edge technology retailers have been searching for.
Not all consumers polled by Walker Sands are completely on board with drone delivery: 13 percent of the 1,433 adults polled for the survey said they don’t trust drone delivery. That was the same percentage as the 2015 survey, which found that most concerns about drone delivery came had to do with safety (74 percent) and cost (63 percent).
Theft, Damage Concerns Remain
This year’s survey found these concerns somewhat abated, but that a growing concern about drone delivery was theft of packages after they are dropped off by drones at consumer’s homes, as well as potential damage.
Yet this year’s study shows that for the first time ever, most consumers are open to the idea of having their packages delivered to their homes by robotic drones — even if it costs more — because it means they can get their orders faster than ever.