The numbers for package theft and porch piracy are astonishing and predicted to rise by 20% with people shopping online more than ever.
The numbers of porch piracy are astonishing and predicted to rise by 20% with people shopping online more than ever. Shoppers’ behaviour continues to shift towards e-commerce and online shopping due to several reasons, whether it is COVID, or convenience. Research indicates that 91% of people receive a package delivery at least once per month, with approximately 4 in 10 receiving package deliveries at least weekly.
“The crime of opportunity,” is how criminal justice experts refer to package theft or stolen mail, and all these are considered “small low-entry crimes,” This package or parcel theft can happen at any point in the distribution channel, but in this blog, in particular, we will relate to the one that happens at the household, also commonly known as porch piracy.
How many packages are stolen each year?
To put all readers into context, let’s bring some more stats to the table. According to a survey carried out by Safewise, around 210 million packages disappeared from porches across American homes last year (2021). This translates to 64% of people being victims of porch thieves.
Although this problem is most commonly seen in The United States, with more incidences in cities like Denver, San Francisco, and Salt Lake (you can check the whole list of cities below), and not in other regions of the world, let’s say Europe.
This is a problem with the potential to scale up in all countries and it is claimed that it reaches higher peaks during holiday seasons (from October to December) when online consumption spikes.
Even if we have been lucky enough to not be a victim of package theft, we sure know someone who has. Hence, the need for logistic companies to anticipate, study the causes and come up with solutions.
Package theft solutions
There are many quick “solutions” people are starting to adopt to protect their online purchases from porch piracy.
Online shoppers have become savvier in this matter as they are learning from these unpleasant experiences, but the truth is that staying at home to receive the package yourself or sending it to a relative’s home is not making people’s life any easier, which is the whole point of shopping online: convenience.
Customers are currently expecting multiple options for requesting purchases and unfortunately are not in shoppers’ hands to fully and permanently stop porch and mail theft.
So, this is where businesses online retailers need to take action, embrace new technologies, and improve their operations to facilitate the buying experience, which we know includes not just the delivery of the parcel but the post-purchase stage, and offer more personalized delivery methods.
Personalized delivery methods are possible with the implementation of smart lockers, not just because they provide a secure place where packages can be stored but the technology these lockers bring with it, an application programming interface that allows different parties, whereas is the retailer, the courier company and the customer to be in constant communication.
Furthermore, there is no room for package loss or theft as there is better /live tracking of the parcel and data retrieval of the delivery process.
Smart Lockers for theft prevention
Smart lockers come in different shapes and can be placed in outdoor or indoor locations, suiting customers’ demands while providing convenience for package collection. Among all the different smart locker options, we can mention the following:
- Multifamily lockers: Ideal for residential places that do not come with a bellman, concierge, or reception
- Pick-up & Parcel lockers: Ideal for university campuses or workplaces
- Curbside lockers: Ideal for shopping areas where the customers still rather go to the store but still have a contactless and faster delivery experience
How Can Bloq.it Help You and Your Business?
As seen in our previous blogs, smart lockers seem to be the right alternative when it comes to reducing costs, carbon emissions, speed of package delivery, return and undoubtedly, porch piracy.
Now, they also seem to be the right choice to thwart porch pirates as well. Are you looking for support to improve your business operations? To find out more about Bloq.it solutions for smart delivery options, reach out to one of our business developers.