New Research Finds 65% of Consumers Willing to Pay More for Faster Deliveries

June 16, 2021

Insights reveal consumers’ dependency on last-mile deliveries for critical goods and growing demand for sustainable options

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Omnitracs, LLC, a Solera company, today announced the results of its “Delivering on Demand: Consumer 2021 Insights Survey.” The research found that consumers not only increasingly utilized deliveries for critical goods and safety reasons during the pandemic, but that they expect to continue to do so, hoping for more last mile and sustainable delivery options in the future.

During the COVID-19 global health crisis, consumers became progressively dependent on delivery services due to lockdowns, stay-in-place orders, and times when leaving home was simply not safe. According to the World Economic Forum, there was a 25% rise in consumer e-commerce deliveries in 2020. Amid this growth, Omnitracs looked into shifting consumer preferences, desires, and needs to better understand the delivery pain points and challenges impacting shoppers today, as well as lessons for businesses who provide delivery services.

Key findings from the Consumer Insights Survey include:

Safety is top of consumers’ delivery priorities

Deliveries increased during the pandemic, and consumers say it was a major factor in keeping them healthy and virus-free during uncertain times. As a result, more than half (53%) of consumers experienced instances where they used a delivery service to ensure that themselves or family members were safe. Additionally, 47% of consumers had groceries, beverages, or alcohol delivered for the first time. Businesses should continue to invest in delivery options for customers who began using them for safety, but now rely on them for convenience.

Delivery experience drives loyalty and financial rewards

Looking ahead, speed and reliability are top priorities for American consumers. According to the research, 59% of consumers used one- to two-day shipping at least once a month during the pandemic. Consumers would like to accelerate shipping times even more with 65% revealing they would be willing to pay more for faster, more reliable deliveries. Delivery providers may want to invest in dispatch, routing, and visibility solutions that allow them to optimize for these trends.

Sustainability future-proofs delivery success

Consumers’ expectations for when, where, and how their goods are delivered will continue to evolve in the coming years with heightened awareness around the environment and sustainability. Research from the report reveals that many are looking to businesses to shift to more sustainable practices with 40% wanting to see more eco-friendly delivery options, such as electric trucks. Additionally, consumers are willing to embrace new technology, as 45% said they are open to seeing drones used for last-mile delivery options. A greener set of delivery solutions should be on the roadmap for fleets of all sizes.

“The global health crisis ushered in a new way of living, and consumers have become accustomed to the conveniences that stay-at-home orders have brought to the table. It’s clear that the pandemic-driven shift to deliveries as a primary method of buying goods isn’t going anywhere as restrictions lift,” said Dr. Ashim Bose, Chief Data and AI Officer at Omnitracs. “In the coming months and years, fleet services will only continue to grow in importance as the demand for faster, more reliable deliveries increases.”

For the full findings of the research, click here.

About the Survey

Dynata, a leading market research tool, conducted this survey of 1,000 adult individuals across the United States on behalf of Omnitracs.

About Omnitracs

Omnitracs, a Solera Company, offers the only complete fleet intelligence software platform. Serving the largest for-hire and private fleets in the transportation and distribution industries, Omnitracs’ best-in-class solutions accelerate business success, improve efficiency, and enhance the driver experience for nearly 15,000 customers who collectively travel 700 million miles per week. Omnitracs pioneered digital transformation in trucking more than 30 years ago, and today offers a one-stop shop for enterprise-grade, data-driven solutions across compliance, telematics, workflow, routing, and video safety. Headquartered in Dallas, Omnitracs serves customers in over 50 countries and employs more than 2,000 people worldwide. Recently, Omnitracs launched the Road Ahead Podcast, a new series that explores industry innovations with guest hosts. To subscribe, click HERE. For more information, visit www.Omnitracs.com.

About Solera

Solera is the preeminent global data intelligence and technology leader serving all constituents engaged in vehicle lifecycle management. Solera’s data-driven intelligence is unmatched, with more than one billion transactions annually, and delivers mission-critical solutions to minimize complexity and reduce friction at all touch points in the vehicle lifecycle. Solera’s solutions empower smarter decision-making through software, enriched data, proprietary algorithms, and machine learning that come together to deliver insights to our customers and accelerate business outcomes. Solera serves over 235,000 global customers and partners in more than 90 countries across six continents. By drawing on its market-leading solutions, Solera provides unsurpassed scale and strength with superior performance while delivering innovation to drive the industry forward. For more information, visit www.Solera.com.