In recent years, online shopping has vastly increased due to its accessibility and convenience. However, the experience can soon turn sour when items get lost or do not reach their desired destination on time or at all.
While the inconvenience of losing a package can happen to anyone and anywhere, there are some places where extra caution is required. A study done by iPostal1 discovered and ranked the U.S. states by order in which packages from online orders are most likely to be lost in the mail.
The research was done by retrieving and accumulating data from Google Keyword Planner for each state for a year.
Search terms like “FedEx lost mail,” “lost mail UPS,” “post recovery DHL,” “United Parcel Service mail tracking” and about 150 keywords were retrieved and aggregated to determine a monthly average search volume for each keyword in each location per 100K citizens.
“While the postal service works diligently to deliver mail promptly and accurately, certain states face inherent challenges that make this mask more difficult,” said Jeff Milgram, CEO and founder of iPostal1.
New York trailed in second place in the study with 12,631 monthly Google searches about lost packages per 100K citizens.
“Residents in states like Colorado, New York, and Florida should be particularly vigilant about tracking their orders and reporting any issues to their local postal services,” Milgram added.
Colorado ranked number one with 12,667 average monthly Google searches about lost packages per 100K citizens.
iPostal1 suggests that Colorado’s mountainous terrain and harsh weather conditions during the winter months make it challenging for orders to be promptly delivered.
As for New York, a busy and highly populated area and complex infrastructure make it difficult for packages to reach their destinations. Like Colorado, Florida also faces harsh weather conditions. In addition, seasonal visitors could potentially strain the postal system.
The growing state of Georgia takes the fourth place, followed by Vermont and Wyoming. Washington takes the seventh place and Maine takes the eighth place. Nevada takes ninth place and at number 10 is Oregon.
The top three states where online orders are more likely to make it to their destinations are South Dakota, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
“While the postal service continually strives to improve reliability, there are steps individuals can take to minimize the risk of lost parcels, such as ensuring that addresses are accurate and include all necessary details, as well as using secure mailboxes,” said Milgram.
