Electronic commerce, home delivery and unattended delivery

Although the norm in Japan is for goods to be handed over at the doorstep, perhaps this survey from MMD Labo into electronic commerce and home delivery might point to a new norm of unattended delivery.

I’ve never tried unattended delivery, and don’t particularly want to either. I do live in a block of flats that has shared lockers for when people aren’t in, so there’s little worry about missed delivery, and anyway we set delivery times when we can usually assure we are at home.

Have you tried unattended delivery in Japan? How did it go?

Research results

Q1: Do you know about unattended delivery? (Sample size=4,373)

Yes	59.4%
Just heard the term	26.2%
Don’t know about it	14.4%

Next, the 3,812 people from the original sample who has used electronic commerce sites answered the following question.

Q2: How do you receive goods from electronic commerce sites? (Sample size=3,812, multiple answer)

Handed over directly at home	85.4%
Unattended delivery	30.8%
Collected from convenience store, etc	28.7%
Delivered to delivery locker at home, flat lobby, etc	21.9%
Collected from delivery firm office	21.6%
Delivered to work	11.3%
Collected from delivery locker at station, etc	7.9%
Other	0.4%

Q3: What is the most important point regarding delivery service from electronic commerce sites? (Sample size=3,812)

Free delivery	45.7%
Can select delivery date and time	14.3%
High safety, security	13.1%
Can track delivery progress	8.1%
Delivery speed	6.3%
Many different delivery options	4.7%
Non-face-to-face delivery	2.8%
Other	0.3%
Nothing in particular	4.7%

Next, the 3,256 people who had experienced redelivery of goods were asked the following questions.

Q4: How often do you need to get items redelivered? (Sample size=3,256)

Never	12.0%
Sometimes	66.5%
About half the time	14.5%
Almost every time	5.7%
Don’t know	1.3%

Q5: What measures do you take to avoid getting items redelivered? (Sample size=3,256, multiple answer)

Set deleivery date and time	68.6%
Get family to take delivery	41.5%
Use offered tools to adjust delivery method or time	33.7%
Other	2.2%
Nothing in particular	10.1%

Next, 336 people who had used unattended delivery were asked the following questions. Note that according to Q2, it is about 1,200 people who said they had used it, so from this group 336 people were selected.

Q6: Which electronic commerce sites’ unattended delivery services have you used? (Sample size=336, multiple answer)

Amazon	86.9%
Rakuten Ichiba	35.4%
Yahoo! Shopping	19.6%
Mercari	11.0%
ZOZOTOWN	9.8%
Yafuoku! (Yahoo! Auctions)	8.9%
LOHACO	7.7%
Co-op	7.7%
FANCL	6.0%
Rakuma	5.7%
PayPay Furima	5.1%
Aeon Net Super	4.8%
Kobayashi Seiyaku	4.2%
Lawson Fresh	3.6%
Other	3.9%

Q7: Where do you request unattended deliveries are placed?

Home dwellers (Sample size=192, multiple answer)

Porch	87.5%
Bicycle basket	10.9%
Shed	10.4%
Garage	8.9%
Gas meter box	4.7%
Other	6.2%

Flat dwellers (Sample size=141, multiple answer)

Porch	77.3%
Gas meter box	19.9%
Building front desk	14.9%
Bicycle basket	7.8%
Shed	7.8%
Garage	5.0%
Other	2.1%

Q8: What do you feel are the merits of unattended deliveries? (Sample size=336, multiple answer)

Avoids redelivery issues	75.6%
Don’t need to make time for delivery	62.8%
Don’t need to sign for it	52.7%
Reduces time spent	50.3%
Reduces COVID-19 disease spread	39.3%
Can shop easily	26.2%
Other	1.5%
Nothing in particular	1.8%

Q9: What do you feel are the demerits of unattended deliveries? (Sample size=336, multiple answer)

Worries about theft and damage	68.2%
Parcel gets wet, dirty	45.1%
People know when I’m not home	31.0%
Not all goods can be delivered unattended	24.1%
Few electronic commerce sites offer the option	19.3%
Goods may be placed in locations other than as indicated	16.7%
Other	2.4%
Nothing in particular	11.6%

Q10: How satisfied are you with unattended deliveries? (Sample size=336)

Satisfied	28.3%
Somewhat satisfied	43.5%
Can’t really say	21.7%
Somewhat dissatisfied	4.2%
Dissatisfied	2.4%

Q11: Do you think unattended deliveries will become more common in the future? (Sample size=336)

Very much so	38.1%
Somewhat so	47.3%
Not really so	12.2%
Not at all	2.4%

Demographics

Between the 6th and 15th of January 2021 4,373 members of the MMD monitor group aged between 18 and 69 years old completed a private internet-based questionnaire.