New study shows same day delivery a priority for consumers

According to a new retail study published last week about the future of retail, urgent delivery, expedited delivery, rush delivery, same day delivery and on demand delivery are all critical 'wants' for consumers. With that said retailers, distributors and manufacturers are each trying to find the ideal logistics solutions that enable them to deliver when the customer wants but at a price that is truly viable for the the business.

The Walker Sands' 2015 Future of Retail Study took responses from over 1,400 online consumers in the U.S. learining about their behaviors and preferences for the the future. The overwhelming demand was for same day delivery and ideally, quicker than ever before. Very importantly more than 80% of those surveyed state that they are willing to pay more for these services including a general perception (which I don't share at present) that drone delivery is imminent.

All of this leads back to a recurring theme of finding the correct pricing point for same day freight or smaller items and while we see a host of of businesses rushing down the pathway to offering same day delivery service it would seem that the correct formula for pricing has not yet been found. In essense it seems ideal and essentially easier to advertise flat rate shipping but perhaps the reality is that every delivery situation beyond a mile or two has different variables that should, in theory at least, be built into the pricing for these expedited services.

As for drone delivery the recent announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration means that drove delivery for packages won't even be reviewed again before 2017 so in the meantime urgent deliveries will arrive as they always have by ground.

If drone delivery becomes a common reality the most likely scenario is a delivery van equipped with a drone for last mile deliveries but in those circumstances the drone 'pilot' is still engaged while waiting for the delivery to be made and the drone to return to their vehicle. It's hard to see where any cost efficiencies can be found in such a scenario although by late 2016 the question of how much consumers will pay for drone delivery is surely one that will be asked and explored.