With the holidays nearly here, delivery is in overdrive — but even outside of the holiday season, three in four Americans say they get at least one package delivered to their doorsteps every week (22 percent daily). The cost? Americans spend an average of $817 a year on shipping and delivery fees per person — $850 if you’re a late-night shopper or more than $900 if you’re Gen Z.
To better understand the American consumers’ current delivery habits and purchases, Circuit, the delivery technology company, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers and asked if the increased popularity of e-commerce has changed America’s dependence on delivery. The answer, said Circuit’s researchers, is yes.
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Between the pandemic, long work hours, hectic schedules and general fatigue, there are many reasons Americans are turning to delivery, with 88 percent of survey respondents reporting they have increased deliveries over the past two years. For most consumers, delivery was all about convenience, with 54 percent naming it as their top reason for ordering online. Other common reasons, including being too busy to go out (34 percent), being too tired to go out (30 percent), being occupied with children (22 percent) and being stressed from work (19 percent), echo the convenience of delivery.
And consumers are willing to pay for the convenience. Looking at both Google search trends and its proprietary research, Circuit found that the average annual amount spent on shipping and delivery increases as age decreases.
Baby Boomers spend on average $453.70 on shipping and delivery compared to $747.20 from Gen X, $899.20 from Millennials and $901.20 from Gen Z.
When it comes to the frequency of packages being delivered, Circuit found that 64 percent of men get packages daily compared to 36 percent of women. Additionally, those in different population densities reported receiving packages at varying rates, with 29 percent of consumers in rural areas receiving packages daily compared to 24 percent in urban areas and 16 percent in suburban areas.
Late-night shoppers were a category of their own, with 9 percent of survey respondents reporting that they typically do online shopping at night. These late-night shoppers are most likely to purchase shoes, beauty and skin care products, home décor or laptops and electronics.
Across all consumers (men and women), clothing and shoes were the most commonly delivered products and the most commonly auto-shipped items. The second most delivered item for women was tied between beauty or skin care products and groceries. For men, groceries were the second most commonly delivered item followed closely by shoes.
Items with the most increased deliveries over the past two years were pet supplies (34 percent), CBD products (33 percent), skin care (31 percent) sports equipment (25 percent) and car parts (21 percent).
As previously reported by WWD, consumers are being more thoughtful when making purchases in light of inflation and economic downturn, and most people said they have feelings of happiness and excitement when they receive a package from an online order. Only 8 percent reported feelings of remorse.
The authors of Circuit’s report said even with inflation causing higher shipping costs, consumers are more dependent on delivery than ever and will likely remain consistent as Americans continue to value convenience.