PROVO, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The vast majority of Americans are concerned about porch piracy and have changed the way they shop and ship as a result, according to a new study commissioned by Vivint Smart Home, the largest smart home services provider in North America.
The study uncovers the far-reaching impact of the porch piracy phenomenon, which has affected 23 million Americans*. Key findings include:
- Package theft has spurred widespread concern. Nearly 75 percent of Americans are concerned about porch piracy.
- Porch piracy is driving significant shifts in online shopping and shipping behaviors. Two out of three Americans have changed their behavior because of porch piracy, including adjusting their schedules to be home for a delivery (49 percent); changing the way they receive packages, such as requiring a signature at delivery or shipping packages to their office or the homes of family members or friends (46 percent); and reducing the amount they shop online (31 percent).
- Americans haven’t taken proactive steps to combat porch piracy. Although nearly 45 percent of Americans have had a package stolen or know someone who has had a package stolen, few have proactively addressed this issue. Almost 90 percent of Americans have not installed surveillance technology, and 81 percent have not instituted a neighborhood watch program.
- Millennials are the most concerned — and vigilant — generation when it comes to package theft. Nearly four in five millennials are concerned about porch piracy. They have changed their behavior because of this concern more than any other generation, with 61 percent reporting that they have changed the way they receive packages. Millennials are also the most proactive generation in attempting to retrieve stolen packages. As a result, they have the most success getting them back, with 36 percent reporting they had recovered a stolen package. More than half of millennials rely on tactics to aid in their search, such as getting help from the police, giving video evidence to the police and sharing details about the theft on social media.
- Townhomes are the top target for porch pirates. Packages are stolen most frequently from townhomes (29 percent), yet apartment dwellers are the most concerned about porch piracy (79 percent).
“Concerns about porch piracy threaten the key value proposition of online shopping — the convenience of having a package delivered directly to your home,” said Matt Mahar, vice president of consumer experience at Vivint Smart Home. “While this has led most Americans to get creative with the way they ship packages, it is also affecting how much they buy online. With a Vivint smart home, consumers can shop and send with peace of mind, knowing that every package can be safely delivered.”
A Vivint smart home features integrated smart home products, including smart door locks, a doorbell camera, and garage door control to ensure secure package delivery. With the Vivint Doorbell Camera, customers can engage in a two-way conversation with a courier on their doorstep from their mobile device, and simultaneously use the Vivint app to remotely unlock the front door, open the garage door, disarm their security system and more.
For more information on how a Vivint smart home provides greater protection against package theft, visit http://www.vivint.com/products/doorbell-camera. To view a summary of the full Vivint Porch Piracy Study, visit http://www.vivint.com/porch-piracy.
*http://www.insurancequotes.com/home/holiday-hazards-120215
Methodology
This study was conducted by Research Now, which surveyed more than 2,000 people in the third quarter of 2016, including equal representation of males and females ages 18 and above. The respondents represented a sample of Americans across a number of demographics, including household ownership, income, age and more.
About Vivint Smart Home
Vivint Smart Home is the largest smart home services provider in North America. The company combines innovative products and services to offer homeowners the best smart home experience. As the only vertically integrated smart home company, Vivint delivers its integrated platform and products with in-home consultation, professional installation and support delivered by its Smart Home Pros, as well as 24-7 customer care and monitoring. Dedicated to redefining the home experience with intelligent products and services, Vivint serves more than one million customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.vivint.com.
