Ecommerce continues to grow and this growth calls for new challenges as well. Since there are so many people who prefer to get their products delivered, package theft continues to be a big problem.
Thieves, also known as porch pirates do not care what is in the package so long as they can get their hands on it without getting punished. And they tend to use all kinds of dirty tricks like impersonating the recipient while waiting in front of the house, or even using children and making them take the boxes.
Image source: Shorr
Most package thefts do not reach the news simply because they are considered a trivial matter in most instances. Customers are left hanging and it is not like every delivery company takes the necessary measures to fight against the porch pirates.
Thus, it is crucial to spread awareness about package thefts and get more companies and individuals to realize that the current status quo is terrible for every party involved.
The statistics below will tell a big story and open eyes for those who still have doubts about whether package thefts are that much of an issue. The opinions of such people ought to change after they are done reading the information below.
General Statistics
- Ecommerce spending was up more than 30 percent in the early second quarter of 2020 versus the same time in 2019. (CNBC, 2020)
- As many as 90,000 packages disappear daily in New York City. (The New York Times, 2019)
- Staying home for deliveries gives 64% success to prevent package theft. (USA Today, 2020)
- The average value of a stolen package is roughly 136 US dollars. (Shorr, 2020)
- California continues to be the state with the worst package theft problem. (Campus Safety magazine, 2020)
- When it comes to police interference, they arrest less than 10 percent of criminals who are involved in package theft. (City Journal, 2020)
- 44 percent of customers claim that delivery services are not doing enough to prevent the problem of package theft. (C+R Research, 2019)
- At least 54 percent of customers are afraid that their package is going to get stolen, and 42 percent avoid purchasing certain stuff due to such worries. (Confessions of the Professions, 2019)
- 40 percent claim that they avoid buying expensive things on the internet due to the fear of them being stolen whereas 42 percent said that they are quite comfortable spending 200 dollars or less for orders that get delivered to their house. (C+R Research, 2019)
- 29 percent of people have had their package stolen during COVID-19. (Shorr, 2020)
- Northeast of the United States leads in the number of package thefts with 16.8 percent. South has the lowest percentage rate with 8.6 percent. (Security ORG, 2020)
- In April 2020, UPS reported that because of the pandemic, their home deliveries increased from 50 to 70 percent. (Reuters, 2020)
- When asked what makes package theft so appealing, 33 percent believed that it was the location of where the package is placed and how easy it is to grab it for anyone. 31 percent said that brand names on a box also work as an attraction. (Shorr, 2020)
- 51 percent of online shoppers did not get at least one of their packages in the last 6 months. 32 percent have had their last undelivered package lost in the mail while 16 percent claim that it was stolen. (Clutch, 2020)
- In the big cities of the United States, about 1.7 percent of residents suffer at least one package theft every year. (Smiota, 2020)
- Bellevue has reported a 141 percent increase in mail theft during the pandemic. (King5, 2020)
- UPS is among the most trustworthy shipping carriers with 29 percent of people preferring them, whereas USPS is trusted by 27 percent of Americans. (Cluth, 2020)
Demographics
- Two out of five Americans claim to have been victims of a package theft at some point. (Security.org, 2020)
- Among millennials, the victim count goes to one in three, and 60 percent report that they know who was behind the crime. (Comcast, 2020)
- When compared to millennials and Generation X, Baby Boomers are less likely to make any changes in their plans to ensure that they receive a package in person. (Shorr, 2017)
Security Measures
- About 41 percent filed a police report after finding out their package was stolen. (Security.org, 2020)
- 44 percent of people who have had their package stolen have installed a security camera, a doorbell camera, or have taken another measure like investing in a porch locker to prevent thefts from happening in the future. (Confessions of the Professions, 2019)
- 53 percent of respondents stated that they would pay extra for their delivery if it meant that the company offered insurance from package thefts. (Shorr, 2020)
- 83 percent of the victims who have ordered from Amazon or another service said that they immediately contacted the seller. 13 percent have decided to call the police. Only 1 in 9 thieves got caught, though 73 percent of the victims have received a refund. (C+R Research, 2019)
- 43 percent of people know a neighbor who had their package stolen. (Shorr, 2020)
- The average amount of money spent on security measures is 191 dollars per household. 24 percent of shoppers prefer when the delivery man takes the package and leaves it inside the home. 82 percent believe that doorbell cameras are a good way to have peace of mind. (C+R Research, 2019)
- 36 percent of respondents have decided to send the package somewhere other than their home during the holiday season to prevent package theft. (C+R Research, 2019)
- 92 percent prefer to get their packages delivered home, 5 percent have chosen their work. Friend’s house, neighbor’s house, and parent’s house each got 1 percent respectively. (Shorr, 2020)
- 53 percent have stated that they have changed their plans at least once to ensure that they are at home when the package is delivered. (Shorr, 2020)
- Only 27 percent of homeowners without security systems fail package theft reports to the police. (Security.org, 2020)
