Customers dictate deliveries and services arrive only when they want them

YouGov research shows 71% of UK consumers experience emotional and physical pressure due to last-mile delivery practices

Localz, the IConomy fulfillment leader, today announced findings from the inaugural 2018 ICurve Report. The research, conducted by YouGov, explored the UK public’s’ concerns about the current state of last-mile delivery, highlighting the stresses and concerns consumers have as a result of online delivery and on-site utility services. Shockingly, nearly 1 in 10 consumers are too scared to use the toilet when waiting for a delivery, for fear of missing it.

This year’s research revealed 71% of respondents cited physical and emotional disturbance around delivery appointments. 40% of respondents felt stress and anxiety whilst they waited for a service or parcel delivery, 13% were forced to cancel social plans, 11% experienced disrupted sleep and 7% felt uncomfortable using the toilet.

According to the report, based on a statistically representative 2,000 respondents across the UK, 75% of overall respondents are available for delivery availability between 05:00, until 22:00. This extended window for deliveries is in contrast with the set up for typical delivery firms who typically operate between 07.30 and 19.30, a twelve hour window which still misses out on 42% of shopper-acceptable delivery times.

Not all delivery times are equal. Over half of those polled, 53%, want specific delivery slots which are the least disruptive to their personal life and 30% want those least disruptive to the worklife. 65% of respondents who work full time prefer delivery services between 18:00 – 20:00, meaning for this typically busy, and high-spending demographic, most existing delivery services do not work.  Other report findings of interest to providers include:

·         60% of respondents said they would like to be able to live track their delivery.

·         86% mentioned they would rather communicate directly with the delivery person and have the liberty to change the delivery day and date.

·         75% of consumers want to know exactly when to expect their parcel.

·         36% of consumers today want the ability to change the location of their delivery, to a neighbour, work address, or similar, on the day.

·         53% of respondents said the would greatly benefit if they had the opportunity to directly communicate with the delivery person.

·         72% of respondents would rather be physically present or have someone else at home to oversee the delivery service person when receiving a delivery or service.

The report also revealed the darker ramifications of current delivery practices, specifically the effects deliveries have on consumers’ work-life balance and mental wellbeing. 32% of respondents who work full or part-time had to take official leave to wait for a delivery. Moreover, more than one in five said it cost them money as they could not go to work due to a service or parcel delivery. With 75% of the UK population currently in full or part time employment, having flexibility is becoming increasingly important.

Commenting on the ICurve report findings, leading TV Psychologist, Emma Kenny said “Home delivery of goods and services combine all the top stress triggers. Missing out on social engagements and potentially risking medical issue, by avoiding the call of nature, are symptoms of modern life being less healthy than many who enjoy the benefits of personal technology may realise”.

Tim Andrew, CEO and Co-Founder, Localz, commented: “Today, delivering ‘customer satisfaction’ means more than just delivering. As this research shows predicting and meeting individual requirements, aspirations and expectations is complicated. Each customer has her own ICurve and those delivery services which fail to take this into account can expect to go the way of High Street shops’

Recommendations from the report

The following steps can be taken by last-mile fulfillment services to ensure they fulfill the requirements of today’s IConomy:

1.    Bring full transparency and effective two-way communication to the day of service delivery.

2.    Extended delivery hours.

3.    Extend capacity for the ‘Evening Sweet Spot’.

The 2018 ICurve research Report

The survey was conducted by YouGov, an international online market research and data analytics firm. with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. The online survey of members of the YouGov Plc UK panel of 800,000+ individuals resulted in responses from 2,019 adults across the UK. The research is statistically significant with a 95% confidence level and confidence interval of 2.2. It looks at the respondent’s feelings on the current state of the delivery market, how it personally affects them and the changes they want to see.