Data reveals new preferences and concerns on parcel delivery and security as workers return to the office

Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), a global technology company that provides commerce solutions in the areas of ecommerce, shipping, mailing and financial services, today revealed a new study highlighting key trends and behaviors in smart locker usage.

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Smart locker demand and usage: a snapshot (Photo: Business Wire)

The study of 2,200 Americans conducted by Morning Consult for Pitney Bowes found millennials, urban dwellers and office workers showed strong preferences for smart lockers. With 53 percent of all respondents nervous their packages will get stolen from their doorstep and 30 percent willing to pay more for delivery to a locker, the results highlight growing demand for the smart locker as a secure, convenient, contactless alternative to doorstep delivery – particularly as workers head back to the office and are unable to receive deliveries at home.

Across all generations, the data proved millennials to be among the biggest advocates for smart lockers. One in three use or have used one, and three in four particularly like the security they provide. Seventy three percent feel good about using one as it positively impacts their carbon footprint, reducing emissions from multiple carrier journeys.

Urban dwellers also showed a preference for smart lockers, with one in four already using one. This group showed the highest levels of parcel safety concerns of all cohorts, with 73 percent wanting a more secure way for their packages to be delivered.

Concern about parcel security was revealed as a major influence on smart locker usage across the study, with one in two respondents nervous about packages being stolen from their doorsteps and 66 percent looking for a more secure way to receive their packages. The study found 49 percent of respondents don’t like others to see the packages they order, rising to 57 percent of millennials.

While 48 percent of respondents who use smart lockers use them for everyday online orders, one in four uses them for more expensive orders. Contactless delivery was cited as a preference for 54 percent of respondents.

The study also highlights the opportunity for smart lockers in the new, hybrid business environment. One in five prefer to receive packages at the workplace than at home, rising to one in three for millennials, and 67 percent of office workers say they would use a locker to pick up more expensive online orders, while many saw the advantage of lockers for wider business use:

• 56 percent said they would use them for business-related packages or documents
• 55 percent for business-related equipment
• 55 percent for every day online orders
• 54 percent for in-office package or equipment pick-up

Kerry Caylor, Vice President, SendTech Parcel and Locker Innovation, Pitney Bowes said, “Our study reveals the popularity and flexibility of smart lockers for the convenient, secure pickup of online orders and business packages, as well as for other day-to-day applications like the collection and exchange of business items and equipment. As restrictions lift and organizations reopen their workplaces, fewer workers will be at home for deliveries. Smart lockers deliver a safe, touch-free experience which is efficient for organizations and enjoyable for users.”

The study follows the launch of ParcelPoint™ Smart Lockers, a new suite of robust, secure contactless locker solutions recently launched by Pitney Bowes and already generating interest from key markets.

Download the Morning Consult Smart Lockers Study infographic here.

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a global technology company providing commerce solutions that power billions of transactions. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on the accuracy and precision delivered by Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs in the areas of ecommerce fulfillment, shipping and returns; cross-border ecommerce; office mailing and shipping; presort services; and financing. For 100 years Pitney Bowes has been innovating and delivering technologies that remove the complexity of getting commerce transactions precisely right. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes at www.pitneybowes.com.

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