Chicago wearables company ProGlove unveils data pointing to Americans concerns about holiday shopping, with seven key takeaways that indicate public perceptions of labor shortages, decision making of buyers, and views on frontline technology.
Ho-ho-ho?
As pandemic lockdown restrictions and worker shortages due to the “Great Resignation” continue to strain supply chains and the logistics industry more broadly, American shoppers are concerned about shortages for items they want for this upcoming holiday season. They also broadly acknowledge the need for better treatment of frontline workers—a majority are willing to tip their delivery drivers an average of nearly $15.
ProGlove, the leader in ergonomic wearables used in warehouses around the world, has been keeping an eye on these issues that will be affecting consumers. Identifying and solving for inefficiencies in the last mile of the supply chain can help alleviate frontline worker stress.
ALSO READ: Beanie Babies’ Ty Warner confronts supply-chain and saves Christmas
The following data comes from a survey conducted for ProGlove by global online market research firm Dynata in October 2021 of middle-class Americans, specifically people in the United States age 18-65 with a household income ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 who account for at least half of their household’s shopping:
- 72 percent of respondents will be doing at least half of their holiday shopping online this year
- One in four respondents have already started shopping and never start this early
- 78 percent of respondents said they anticipate shipping delays this holiday shopping season
- 74 percent of respondents believe there should be better treatment for supply chain workers, yet only 56 percent would be willing to pay more on their purchases/shipping to ensure this as a reality
- 72 percent of respondents say they have or would be willing to tip their delivery truck driver (with more than 4 in 10 having already tipped before)
- 53 percent of respondents think that technology is most useful when it serves the needs of human workers
- Respondents ranked these four solutions to improve working conditions for frontline workers from most to least important: hire more staff, emphasize worker well-being, monitor processes more closely to identify potential issues, invest in the latest technology
“This survey of consumer shopping habits and perception of our supply chain illustrates the very real, complicated problem we’re facing with disruptions in shipping and getting goods to where we need them to be,” said Ilhan Kolko, Chief Product Officer and President of North America at ProGlove. “Considering the things we can control, it’s crucial to put workers at the center of the process. That includes building technology that works for them and treating them fairly and ethically every step of the way.”
The data shows that middle class Americans are concerned about the state of their supply chains, yet prioritize technology to alleviate this problem further down the list of options.
“While a majority of Americans see technology as the best way to aid human workers, they prioritized it well behind hiring more staff and emphasizing worker well-being,” added Kolko. “I think the general public forgets that—by having technology that empowers workers—worker well-being and hiring more employees are natural byproducts of safe and efficient tech gadgets in the warehouse.”
Source: ProGlove
