Delivery without customer involvement. An option driven by Gen Z

Contactless delivery is the preferred option, especially among younger consumers. This shift is being driven by Generation Z, whose growing purchasing power is influencing the way the entire shopping experience is designed.

Contactless delivery is often associated with collecting purchases from a pick-up point at any time. In practice, however, such a model is not always fully contactless - especially when the point is located in a store - and it still requires the customer to collect the parcel themselves. Delivery to a pick-up point also does not eliminate the need to wait for the shipment and wonder when it will be possible to collect it. Real convenience only comes with night-time delivery, directly to the door, without the need to contact the courier.

Gen Z want full control over delivery 

Consumers raised in a digital-first model are redefining the meaning of convenience most strongly today. Accustomed to services available instantly - from streaming to mobile payments - they expect similar simplicity in logistics and shopping deliveries. Deloitte’s “Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey” shows that they particularly value solutions that provide autonomy and control. Models in which the user does not have to take additional action after placing an order are gaining ever greater importance.

Every additional step on the customer’s side means a real loss of conversion. Simplifying the process - including at the delivery stage - has a direct impact on sales - says Rafał Szcześniewski, Head of Sales at Goodspeed.

Solutions that minimise customer involvement are no longer a differentiator; they are becoming the standard in e-commerce service. This trend is reflected, among other things, in the logistics models developed by Goodspeed, which shorten delivery times, ensure predictable delivery and eliminate the need to contact the courier, because in the morning the parcel is waiting at the door.

Lack of contact can speed up customers’ purchasing decisions

As a result, the moment of making a purchasing decision changes. A customer who does not have to factor delivery into their day is less likely to postpone a purchase. Every point requiring a response therefore becomes a moment at which the purchase process may be interrupted or delayed.

In the traditional model, receiving a parcel means having to be at home, fit in with an imprecise delivery window or respond to a call from the courier. 

Meanwhile, research into communication behaviour shows that younger consumers clearly avoid such forms of contact - according to Uswitch, around 70% of people aged 18-34 prefer text messages to phone calls, and nearly one in four do not answer calls at all. A study conducted in the e-commerce sector in Poland by Tide Software and Orange Polska “The Future of Company-Customer Communication” shows a similar trend - over 82% of Generation Z prefer text communication, and phone calls are associated with emergency situations. 

The form and predictable time of delivery influence not only whether a customer buys, but when they do so. If delivery does not require their involvement, some decisions are made immediately instead of being put off - emphasises Rafał Szcześniewski.

The model developed by Goodspeed responds to these expectations through overnight transport and deliveries carried out at night or early in the morning, directly to the door. The customer does not need to be present or remain in contact with the courier, and collection ceases to be a separate stage requiring attention or a response to a phone call. 

This is no longer a matter of competitive advantage, but of the direction the market is heading. Improved delivery models that do not require customer involvement will be chosen more and more willingly - sums up Rafał Szcześniewski.

As Generation Z’s purchasing power grows, contactless delivery carried out at night and delivered to the door in the morning will become more widespread.