Tips for preventing ‘porch piracy’ of retail deliveries

An article posted Dec. 30 on MultichannelMerchant.com noted that as online ordering of retail products has increased, “porch piracy” — stealing unattended deliveries from doorsteps — has surged. When this happens, 94 percent of consumers blame the retailer, according to research by Dropoff, an Austin, Texas-based courier company.

“Retailers simply cannot afford to leave the fate of customer loyalty in the hands of thieves,” stated the MultichannelMerchant.com article, which offered the following four tips for piracy prevention:

• Offer consumers several delivery options, including the ability to pick up online-ordered items in the store, at an attended remote site or through access to a storage locker.
• Communicate with customers frequently about the expected arrival time of their delivery, notifying them instantly when their package arrives so they can take immediate action to safeguard it.
• Allow customers to select a two-hour delivery window when they know they will be home.
• Proactively reach out to customers as soon as a delivery has been made to ensure that they received it.

As the article emphasized, “In today’s competitive environment, retailers must take control of delivery to drive customer loyalty and lifetime value.” To read the article, visit http://multichannelmerchant.com/opsandfulfillment/4-steps-defend-brand-porch-pirates-30122016.