Unlocking the failed delivery problem? Opportunities and challenges for smart locks from a consumer perspective

The number of consumers that make online purchases is growing, together with the frequency in which these purchases are made. This change in consumer behaviour revitalised the practice of home delivery. Consumers prefer their homes in favour of alternative locations, despite the fair chance that they are not present at the time of delivery. The result is delivery failure, which creates unnecessary costs for logistics service providers and retailers, inconveniences for consumers and an additional burden to the environment. Smart lock systems are presented as a promising solution, as they enable access to delivery couriers by means of dedicated digital keys, even when no one is at home to receive the order. Smart locks’ technical feasibility has been demonstrated, yet consumer acceptance is the main obstacle in implementation. To this end, we organised six focus group discussions with 49 e-consumers. Findings suggest that consumers are reluctant to adopt smart lock systems, mainly because of security concerns. Suggested solutions to alleviate the obstacles include improving courier information, limiting courier access and enhancing professional support. The research contributes to the theoretical knowledge pool of efficiency-improving parcel delivery developments and provides insight into consumer acceptance of a delivery innovation that has the potential to reduce costs and increase efficiency, sustainability and receiver satisfaction. •Background and context: Between 2% and 60% of home deliveries fail.•Research question: Can smart locks provide a solution to delivery failure?•Methodology and data: We organised focus group discussions with 49 e-consumers in Belgium that we divided according to their online purchase frequency.•Results: To facilitate adoption, improving courier information, limiting courier access and enhancing professional support is advised.•Research impact: The research contributes to the theoretical knowledge pool of efficiency-improving parcel delivery developments.