While consumers still seek value amid economic uncertainty, it’s a lower priority than last year, the logistics company found in a survey.
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.
E-commerce remains a dominant force in retail, but some aspects of consumer sentiment toward the channel and its packaging have shifted during the last year, according to newly released <a href="https://d12v9rtnomnebu.cloudfront.net/uploader/2026-ryder-ecommerce-consumer-study_ada.pdf” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>survey results from logistics company Ryder.
Consumers are prioritizing premium experiences and sustainability more than in the past. While they still seek value amid economic uncertainty, it’s a lower priority than last year.
“Price continues to shape consumer behavior, but it is not acting alone,” according to the report. “[C]onsumers increasingly weigh additional factors such as ingredients and materials used in products and packaging.”
Understanding consumers’ e-commerce and packaging preferences — and changes in their priorities — is important for building brand loyalty, said Jeff Wolpov, Ryder senior vice president of e-commerce and last mile.
“Being able to meet the consumer where they are, and understand what’s important to that consumer, and reward good behavior, it goes a long way today — especially in a very competitive landscape,” he said.
A third party surveyed 1,160 consumers for Ryder in March to gauge their sentiments about e-commerce and in-store retail activity from 2025 to 2026.
Like last year, consumers overwhelmingly reported a preference for receiving e-commerce shipments in boxes instead of mailer bags. However, their reasons for choosing these preferred formats have shifted.
Of the consumers that chose boxes this year, 32% did so because of the perception that the format provides better protection during transit, 29% said they reuse boxes, and 20% said boxes are more “eco-friendly.” The desire for better protection dropped by four percentage points compared with last year, while eco-friendly beliefs jumped by six percentage points.
Consumers still prefer boxes over mailer bags for e-commerce deliveries, but their reasons shifted
Change from 2025 to 2026 in reasons respondents chose boxes or bags as their preferred e-commerce packaging material
Of the consumers who chose mailer bags this year, 10% of respondents said they’re easier to dispose of, 5% reported reusing them, and 6% said they take up less space. Compared with last year, the number grew for respondents saying the bags are easier to dispose of while reuse decreased.
“Even though bags are fairly durable, they do not provide the same amount of protection in transit” as boxes, Wolpov said. “And then there is the perception that [boxes are] more environmentally friendly, that corrugated can be recycled.”
Form factor also plays into consumer unboxing experiences, which is a strong differentiator for brands, Wolpov said. “That unboxing experience is much more meaningful and impactful than just ripping open that bag that they’re then most likely going to throw away.”
Consumers still desire premium unboxing experiences, the survey shows. But respondents offered different views this year of the unboxing experience aspects that drive brand loyalty. Coupons and discounts led the reasons last year, at 47%, and they still do in 2026. But responses for that category dropped notably this year. Conversely, packaging sustainability increased as a driver, up six percentage points from 2025.
Discounts are still the top brand loyalty driver for unboxing experiences, but are less of a priority compared with 2025
Change from 2025 to 2026 in respondents’ reasons for shopping a brand again based on their e-commerce unboxing experience
The results suggest that “when I am opening something, [if] sustainability is important to me, if my retail experience can correspond with my personal preferences, I’m more likely to buy from that brand again in the future,” Wolpov said. In addition, “consumers that we surveyed are more likely to pay more for that sustainability.”
Returnless refunds are another feature that’s important to consumers’ experience and loyalty, as well as to sustainability, Wolpov said. Ryder found 67% of survey respondents reported a desire to shop again with a brand that offers refunds for purchases without requiring the consumer to return the item.
“They feel as if it’s environmentally friendly, you care more about the environment than shipping again and utilizing the carbon footprint to get goods back in a new box,” Wolpov said. “This is a way of of really leaning in to the eco-friendly consumers’ expectations and their experience.”
Filed Under:Supply Chain,Sustainability
