This commentary was written by Nourhan Beyrouti, senior director of corporate marketing and brand for Delivery Solutions. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Modern Shipper or its affiliates.
Porch theft used to pose little to no threat to Americans. However, “porch pirates” have stolen packages from over 49 million Americans in the last year, totaling $2.4 billion in stolen goods. This drastic increase in theft is simply due to the availability of packages left sitting on doorsteps. With the rise of e-commerce shopping, alternative delivery methods are more important than ever to reduce the threat of package theft and porch pirates.
Below are some key takeaways about why porch theft is increasing and what retailers and consumers can do to prevent it.
Customer neglect
Not only does availability play a significant role in the rise in package theft, but customer neglect may also contribute to this high amount of stolen goods. Reasons for customer neglect can vary and are usually on a case-by-case basis, but oftentimes this neglect can be associated with more and more Americans working from home and simply having no reason to go to their front porch during the day. Packages are frequently left on porches for days, weeks, or even months, making them easily accessible and vulnerable to theft.
A package stolen, on the other hand, almost always results in a lesson learned. A victim of first-time theft is less likely to fall prey to a second incident and will often take security measures such as putting up a camera monitoring system or making sure someone is home all day on the day the package is set to arrive.
Alternate delivery methods
The customer’s desire for speed and instant gratification drives retail evolution, with buy online, pickup anywhere (BOPA) being the latest trend in last-mile delivery. BOPA is a type of e-commerce fulfillment that allows customers to retrieve their online purchases from a network of commercial locations, including urban parcel lockers, for convenient pickup. They can also direct delivery to a more convenient daytime location, such as an office or hotel. The convenience of last-mile delivery, alternative delivery locations, or picking up in a retail store all contribute to the success of this last-mile model. Coincidentally, this form of pick-up also decreases the risk of porch theft. By directing delivery to a more convenient location or having a parcel delivered to a locker, customers are allowed to retrieve their packages when convenient for them without leaving them unattended for long stretches of time in front of their houses.
In addition to promoting these BOPA options, retailers can also advocate for scheduled delivery windows. Customers can select a smaller home delivery time that’s convenient for them, thus reducing the risk of theft because they know when the package will arrive and when to retrieve it.
Complete post-purchase visibility
From the point of purchase to order fulfillment and delivery, retailers have numerous opportunities to communicate with their customers and provide the highest level of service every time. According to a recent study conducted by Anyline, the second most important factor among consumers is having real-time communication about their pending deliveries, thus heightening the importance of keeping customers informed of their orders throughout the entire process. Retailers should incorporate various advanced features that help create impactful touch points with the customer, such as retail-branded tracking pages, personalizations, order confirmation emails, issue notifications and delivery updates. By implementing effective communications immediately after a purchase has been made, retailers can enhance the online buyer experience, improve consumer loyalty, and reduce theft upon delivery. Customers who are kept in the loop regarding delivery are more likely to prioritize safely gathering the package rather than leaving it unattended for long stretches of time. With the help of platforms like Delivery Solutions, retailers can experience the next-generation post-purchase solution that eliminates customer dissatisfaction and streamlines order-related communications.
The future of delivery is not far away
Many seemingly futuristic delivery methods are actually beginning to roll out in their first phases, including drone delivery. While not everything can be delivered by drone to anywhere, retailers are starting to experiment with the capabilities of drone delivery to backyards. Backyard delivery provides a safer alternative to the traditional front porch or even front yard method. In the past three years there have already been more than 660,000 commercial drone deliveries to customers. Approximately 60% of surveyed customers had a positive outlook on drone delivery and shared that if it was an option in their area they would utilize the service.
In the next few years trends will continue to favor drone delivery as well as alternative delivery methods discussed above. Neighborhoods will eventually have delivery stations where only homeowners in the community will have access to the packages inside, and more and more secure and precise services will be offered.
About the author
Nourhan Beyrouti is senior director of corporate marketing and brand for Delivery Solutions. As an end-to-end service, Delivery Solutions streamlines the shipping process while providing an opportunity for retailers to extend their brand into areas they might not have otherwise had access to through fulfillment, delivery and post-purchase experiences.