What is porch delivery?

Porch delivery refers to a delivery method where packages are left on a customer’s porch or doorstep rather than handed directly to the recipient. This contactless delivery method has become increasingly popular, especially with the rise of e-commerce and delivery services like Amazon. Here’s a closer look at how porch delivery works and its advantages and disadvantages.

How Does Porch Delivery Work?

With porch delivery, the delivery driver will bring the package to the recipient’s home and leave it outside the front door, usually on the porch or doorstep. The driver may ring the doorbell or knock to notify the residents that a delivery has arrived before departing.

Delivery drivers are instructed to leave packages in a safe, concealed location that is not visible from the street. This helps prevent theft. Some common porch delivery locations include:

• Behind a pillar or furniture on the porch
• Inside a decorative bench or storage box
• Behind a potted plant
• Between doors and storm doors

For apartment buildings, packages may be left at the door of the recipient’s unit or in a mailroom or lobby area.

Customers are expected to retrieve their packages promptly. The delivery service usually sends notifications by text or email to let customers know a delivery has arrived.

Why Do Delivery Services Use Porch Delivery?

There are several reasons porch delivery has become a standard practice for many mail carriers and delivery services:

• It allows deliveries to be made even when the recipient is not home.
• It eliminates the need to obtain signatures for every delivery, which takes extra time.
• It allows drivers to make deliveries more quickly and efficiently.
• It reduces contact between drivers and customers, which is preferable during viral pandemics.
• It gives recipients more flexibility on when to retrieve their packages.

Porch delivery methods help streamline the delivery process. Drivers don’t have to wait for someone to come to the door or attempt redelivery later if the recipient is unavailable. This allows more packages to be delivered in a shorter timeframe.

What Are the Advantages of Porch Delivery?

For both delivery companies and recipients, porch delivery offers several notable benefits:

• Convenience – Packages can be delivered without the recipient having to be present to accept them. This provides more flexibility.
• Efficiency – It takes less time for drivers to drop off packages than to make contact with recipients and obtain signatures.
• Lower costs – The efficiency of porch deliveries allow companies to reduce costs through faster deliveries and spending less time per stop.
• Customer satisfaction – Recipients appreciate the convenience and flexibility. They can get deliveries when not home.
• Security – Recipients don’t have to worry about missed deliveries and multiple delivery attempts.

Porch deliveries also require less physical interaction between drivers and customers. This became very important during the COVID-19 pandemic for social distancing purposes.

What Are the Disadvantages of Porch Delivery?

For all its benefits, porch delivery also comes with some potential downsides and risks:

• Theft – Packages left unattended are vulnerable to theft by passersby.
• Weather damage – Packages may be damaged if left out in the rain, snow, or other inclement weather.
• Misdeliveries – Packages can occasionally be delivered to the wrong address.
• Lack of signature proof – Without requiring a signature, there’s no physical proof the intended recipient received the package.
• Lack of customer interaction – Recipients may have questions or special instructions that don’t get relayed without direct contact.

While location choices like covered porches and concealed areas help mitigate risks, porch piracy and package theft is a consistent problem in some areas.

How Common is Porch Delivery?

Porch delivery has become an extremely popular delivery method across the U.S. and many other countries. Surveys indicate just how widely adopted it is:

• An estimated 90% of consumers have received deliveries via porch drop-off.
• About 80% of online shoppers expect packages to be left at their door if they’re not home.
• Roughly 65% of delivery drivers say they leave packages at doors rather than obtaining signatures most of the time.

Between UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and other carriers, billions of deliveries use the porch drop-off method every year. It has become the norm for e-commerce and residential deliveries.

How Do Customers Feel About Porch Deliveries?

Most customers have embraced porch deliveries and prefer the convenience over having to be present to accept deliveries. However, customer perceptions vary depending on factors like location. Here are some statistics on customer sentiments:

Customer Sentiment	Survey Data Points
Prefer porch delivery	72% prefer deliveries be left unattended rather than having to stay home and wait Over 80% see porch delivery as standard procedure
Have security concerns	61% worry about package theft Only 43% would describe their neighborhood as low risk for porch theft
Use security measures	23% use security cameras to monitor deliveries 34% provide delivery instructions to hide packages

While porch delivery is convenient, theft remains a concern. Many adopt security measures as a result. Urban customers tend to be most concerned about package theft.

What Steps Can Customers Take?

If you’re worried about package theft, there are some precautions you can take:

• Use security cameras to monitor deliveries.
• Provide delivery instructions to conceal packages.
• Have packages held at the carrier facility for pickup.
• Use smart locks and secure storage boxes.
• Take advantage of tracking alerts to promptly retrieve packages.
• Have a neighbor watch for and retrieve deliveries.

You may also want to avoid porch delivery when expecting an expensive or irreplaceable item. Opt to have the package held for pickup or require a signature on delivery instead.

What Are Carriers Doing to Improve Security?

Delivery companies are taking their own measures to boost porch delivery security in response to theft concerns:

• Offering real-time tracking of packages so recipients can monitor deliveries.
• Using AI and data to predict delivery locations at highest theft risk.
• Providing recipients with photo confirmation of delivered packages.
• Implementing additional security procedures in high-risk areas.
• Alerting law enforcement and investigating repeated theft at specific locations.

Carriers also train delivery drivers to choose concealed, low-visibility drop-off points to deter thieves. However, if theft remains persistently high in a area, carriers may institute requiring signatures or deliveries to pickup spots.

What Delivery Methods Are Alternatives to Porch Dropoff?

For customers concerned about porch delivery, most carriers offer some alternative delivery options:

• Signature required – Recipient must be present to sign for delivery.
• Residential pickup – Package held at local facility for recipient pickup.
• Secure lockers – Package delivered to staffed locker location for later retrieval.
• Side/back door – Package left in less visible location per customer request.
• Neighbor delivery – Recipient can designate a neighbor’s address to receive packages.

There may be fees associated with some alternatives, like signature delivery. But the options provide peace of mind to those concerned about package theft.

Conclusion

Porch delivery offers unparalleled convenience for customers and efficiencies for carriers. But it also comes with risks like theft. Customers can take security precautions and utilize delivery alternatives when receiving sensitive packages. Meanwhile, carriers continue improving delivery methods to balance convenience and safety.

In most cases, the benefits still outweigh the risks. Porch drop-off has become a standard practice, with the vast majority of deliveries now left unattended. As carriers and customers work together to enhance security and minimize dangers, porch delivery will likely continue growing as a ubiquitous delivery method.