Eco-Friendly Shipping Is Fine, Unless It Costs More

Nevin Barich

Nevin Barich

February 27, 2020

I have a confession: When it comes to shipping, I’m selfish. I only care about getting the items shipped to my home as quickly as possible and as cheaply as possible. The potential environmental impact regarding the packaging of the items never enters my mind.

You must understand: Ever since my son was born, my wife and I have essentially welcomed Amazon Prime into our home as an extended member of the family. Pretty much every need for our 16-month-old—diapers, wet wipes, baby-friendly laundry detergent, special formula because he’s allergic to dairy—is handled by one of his parents going into the Amazon app on an iPhone and within a couple of presses arranging for something to be delivered to our door within one-to-two days.

How it gets shipped and the packaging it gets shipped in is immaterial to me. I just want my items sent to me right away, eco-friendliness be damned.

A recent report from RetailMeNot shows that while most Americans aren’t quite as selfish as I am, they’re not exactly pro-Mother Nature once cost comes into the mix.

According to the report, 51% of Americans are willing to wait longer for eco-friendly shipping options from retailers like Amazon. But once cost becomes a factor, 70% prefer the lowest price over environmental impact.

So basically:

American Consumer: “I don’t mind waiting a few extra days for my item to ship if the packaging involved is friendly toward the environment.”

Shipping Company: “That’s wonderful to hear. Also: The eco-friendly shipping will cost you $2 more.”

American Consumer: “WHAT?!?! Unacceptable! Give me the cheaper option!”

Shipping Company: “OK, but please bear in mind that the cheaper option won’t be as eco-friendly.”

American Consumer: “CHEAPER OPTION!”

Maybe the above scenario is a bit overboard, but you get the general idea.

Other findings from the report:

---Eighty-one percent of Americans expect retailers to offer more expedited shipping options during the holidays in 2020.

---Forty-four percent of consumers admit they will shop later in the holiday season in 2020 because they know they can receive items faster.

---Procrastinators will pose a major challenge for many brands as 63% of retailers struggle to keep up with shipping deals offered by their competitors.

Nevin Barich is the Consumer Products Analyst for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service. Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

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