Survey: Younger shoppers, those in cities more likely to experience package theft
Over a third of online shoppers have fallen victim to porch piracy in the past year.
That’s according to new research from HubBox, which found that 36% of consumers surveyed have been victims of porch piracy, where online orders left on doorsteps are stolen, in the past year. This figure rises to over half (52%) of Gen Z consumers and almost half (47%) of millennials, who are more likely to shop online. Those living in urban settings, such as large towns and cities, were also more likely to have experienced porch piracy, with 47% having experienced theft of online parcels left on their doorsteps in the last 12 months.
Victims of porch piracy experienced an average of six instances of theft in the last 12 months, with Gen Z and millennial shoppers experiencing slightly more (eight and seven occurrences, respectively). The average value of goods stolen by a porch pirate per shopper is $315.80.
HubBox’s survey found that thieves strike around the holiday season, as 80% of porch piracy victims experienced incidents taking place over the Black Friday weekend and spanning through to Cyber Monday. Last year, 16% experienced porch piracy following Amazon Prime Day, the next of which is scheduled for October.
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Almost half (46%) of respondents said the experience of porch piracy damaged their relationship with the retailer in question, while two-fifths (37%) of shoppers were deterred from shopping with a brand again following a porch piracy incident. While almost two-thirds (63%) felt retailers had responded swiftly to resolve porch piracy instances, half (50%) claim they had been left out of pocket due to doorstep package theft.
“As the first point of contact, the retailer often feels the impact on their reputation as well as their bottom line,” said Sam Jarvis, CEO of HubBox. “When a porch pirate strikes, the retailer must either replace the item as a goodwill gesture or inform the customer they’re not going to reimburse them for the failed delivery, which invariably leads to lost loyalty or negative reviews. And, if they do replace the item, they still risk losing a sale or creating a return if the item then arrives too late. In short, they lose out in a myriad of ways.”
HubBox’s porch piracy survey was polled online by Savanta in July 2024 and featured more than 1,000 U.S. shoppers.
