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发帖数: 1034 | 1 February 18, 2015 12:29 PM
Daniel Terdiman
Two-thirds of Americans think that we’ll be seeing drones dropping off
things like clothes, books, pet food and more within half a decade. And 80
percent of consumers say retailers offering quick drone delivery will be
more likely to get their business.
That’s the conclusion of a new general retail study from Walker Sands
Communications, a Chicago-based PR and social marketing agency.
The full study, titled “Reinventing Retail: What Businesses Need to Know in
2015,” will be released tomorrow. For now, though, it’s worth noting that
the non-scientific research, which surveyed 1,400 Americans, highlighted
that consumers think companies like Amazon and Google are very close to
realizing their ambitions to make deliveries by drone.
Notwithstanding Federal Aviation Administration restrictions on the
commercial use of drones that currently prohibit such deliveries, 14 percent
of those surveyed think drone deliveries will start within a year, while 22
percent feel it will happen by 2017. Another 30 percent think it will take
up to five years before package-laden drones are buzzing our skies.
Most people interested in package delivery by drone say they're open to
having books and clothing dropped from the sky.
Above: Most people interested in package delivery by drone say they’re open
to having books and clothing dropped from the sky.
Image Credit: Walker Sands Communications
The FAA proposed a set of guidelines last weekend that would limit non-
recreational drones weighing less than 55 pounds to altitudes of 500 feet
and speeds of 100 miles an hour. It’s not entirely clear how those rules,
if implemented, would impact drone delivery.
Nevertheless, having Amazon’s name associated with package delivery by
drone has done wonders for the public’s perception of the practice, even as
regulations — and to an extent, technical limitations — have kept
packages on the ground. “Drone-delivered packages may be an even bigger
push toward a future where the majority of purchases are made online across
multiple product categories,” Walker Sands wrote. “Four in five consumers
say drone delivery to their doorsteps within an hour would make them more
likely to purchase from a retailer.”
And, even as the public is opening up to the idea, people are also seemingly
willing to open their wallets. “Consumers don’t just expect to receive
online orders by drone,” Walker Sands asserted, “they are also willing to
pay for it. Almost 80 percent of consumers are willing to pay for drone
delivery if their order arrived within an hour, with nearly half…saying
they would pay at least $5.”
Just 23 percent surveyed said they weren’t interested in drone delivery.
That indicates, the report suggested, that “rapid delivery by air is
fertile ground for retailers like Amazon that plan to push the limits of
fast delivery.”
Of course, the public’s interest in drone delivery depends on what’s being
dropped off. Three-quarters of people are interested in book delivery —
hello, Amazon! — while 73 percent like the idea of having clothes appear
from above. After that, interest drops off pretty quickly. Just 54 percent
are interested in pet items, 45 percent in tools, 44 percent in sporting
goods and household goods, and 32 percent in general consumer electronics.
One wonders when we’ll see a drone deliver a drone. |
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