Are consumers ready for drone delivery? Maybe, but will they pay for it?

Amazon

With news that Amazon has officially entered the drone delivery game, it might feel like adoption is inevitable. But what do consumers think of that possibility?

A new survey polling more than 1,000 consumers across the U.S. sought to answer exactly that question, as well as to extract consumer sentiment about the coming of drone delivery and a new phase of ultra-fast end-to-end service. The top line? Consumers tend to be drone curious and generally in favor of the technology, although as with seemingly everything in the country, there's no consensus.

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The survey found that a majority of Americans (58%) favor the idea of drone deliveries and even more (64%) think drones are becoming an option for home delivery now or will be in the near future, suggesting a small gap between those who believe the trend is inevitable and those who think it's a good idea. 

Of the 64% who see drones becoming an option for home delivery, 32% think it's possible now or within the next 1 to 2 years, 18% say within 3 to 4 years, and 14% within 5 to 10 years. Among doubters, 36% think it just isn't likely to happen. The biggest reason for the holdout was the likelihood of regulatory hurdles, accounting for 20% who think the general public or governments will not approve of large-scale drone adoption for delivery.

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