Research conducted by YouGov, a global market research and data company, has explored the current state of last-mile delivery of goods and services, highlighting the stresses and concerns consumers have as a result of online deliveries and field technician appointments. Shockingly, nearly one in ten consumers are too scared to use the toilet when waiting for a delivery, for fear of missing it.
The research revealed, for the first time, ‘The ICurve’ – a detailed graph mapping modern consumer demand against their busy lives. The ICurve is conclusive evidence of the Individual Economy, or Iconomy, which describes how service providers, retailers and individuals demand personalised services and will reject those unable to meet their expectations.
However, the report also revealed the darker ramifications of current delivery practices, specifically the effects deliveries have on consumers’ work-life balance and mental wellbeing. More than 30 per cent 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 over 80 per cent of the Australian population currently in full or part-time employment, having flexibility is becoming increasingly important.
Overall, this year’s research revealed 71 per cent of respondents cited physical and emotional disturbance around delivery appointments. Forty per cent of respondents felt stress and anxiety whilst they waited for a service or parcel delivery, 13 per cent were forced to cancel social plans, eleven per cent experienced disrupted sleep and 7 per cent felt uncomfortable using the toilet.
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 issues, 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.”
According to the report, based on a statistically representative 2000 respondents across the UK, 75 per cent of overall respondents are available for delivery availability between 5am until 10pm. This extended window for deliveries is in contrast with the set up for typical delivery firms who typically operate between 7.30am and 7.30pm, a twelve hour window which still therefore misses out on 42 per cent of shopper-acceptable delivery times.
Not all delivery times are equal. Over half of those polled, 53 per cent want specific delivery slots which are the least disruptive to their personal life and 30 per cent want those least disruptive to the worklife. The resulting ICurve, of preferred delivery slots, differs greatly by individual. Respondents aged 25-55 prefer deliveries between 6 – 8pm in the evening, whereas respondents aged 55+ prefer goods and services delivered between 6 – 11am.
The ICurve itself varies not just by age, but also gender, type of service, geography, family size and working status. For instance, 65 per cent of respondents who work full-time prefer delivery services between 6 – 8pm, meaning for this typically busy, and high-spending, demographic, most existing delivery services do not work.
Localz, experts in location and mobile technology, work with logistics, retail and field services to build solutions that meet the needs of the Iconomy. Automated, real-time messages enable customers to see their technician en-route, and simple-to-use apps help technicians manage their jobs and locate colleagues. The field and office team have real-time visibility of customer location and proximity of technicians.
For more information, visit localz.com or contact hello@localz.com.
Source: AI Group, Economic Research, June 2018.
