retail

Consumers Have Less Than $20 In Cash In Pocket, Want Drone Deliveries

As American consumers grow more reliant on e-commerce, they’re also increasingly open-minded about innovations: A new survey reports that 66% expect to have a package delivered by drones in the next five years, for example. And cash continues to lose its clout. While 56% say cash is the most secure way to pay for things, only 11% had paid for something in cash in the past day, down from 27%, in the same survey a year ago. And 59% of those in the poll had $20 or less in their wallets.

The new Future of Retail Study, from Walker Sands, a Chicago-based PR agency, included 1,400 U.S. online consumers, and finds that people are continue to shop more online, with 28% saying they do so at least once a week. (That’s up 27% from last year.) And 68% do so monthly, compared to 62% in the prior year’s research. 

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The idea of delivery by drone has clearly captured the fancy of online shoppers. Not only do they expect it to happen soon, they like the idea, 80% say they’d pay more for drone delivery within the hour. “Amazon did a really brilliant job of introducing this idea to Americans,” says Maria Haggerty, CEO of Dotcom Distribution, an e-commerce logistics company. “It created a huge buzz, and people like the idea of having something they buy online being delivered to them super-quickly.”

The poll also finds that consumers are keen on other emerging technology, such as virtual reality, with 30% saying they’d shop more online if they were able to use a product like Oculus Rift. And 63% think such technology will shape shopping in the future.

Amazon continues to be the dominant force, with 96% of the sample saying they had purchased something from the behemoth in the last year. And while 40% are open to buying just about any type of product online, from groceries to high-ticket luxury items, they say they trust Amazon more than any other retailer in 10 out of 11 product categories.

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