Drivers and barriers to drone delivery adoption in Canada: Insights for sustainable last-mile logistics

The continued growth of e-commerce has placed increasing pressure on last-mile delivery systems, which contributes to congestion and environmental challenges in urban areas. Autonomous delivery technologies, particularly drone-based solutions, have been proposed as a potential response to these issues. However, their large-scale implementation depends not only on technological feasibility but also on user acceptance. Although interest in drone delivery is expanding globally, empirical evidence on consumer adoption in the Canadian context remains limited. This study investigates the factors influencing Canadian consumers’ intentions to adopt drone delivery services by applying an extended UTAUT2 framework. A quantitative survey was conducted with 156 Canadian online shoppers, primarily representing technology-oriented and innovation-focused communities across Canada, through an online questionnaire. As such, the findings largely reflect the perspectives of early adopters of emerging delivery technologies. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that five of the seven hypothesized relationships are supported. Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, and Environmental Friendliness positively influence behavioral intention, whereas Perceived Risk and Price Sensitivity have significant negative effects. In contrast, Effort Expectancy and Facilitating Conditions do not appear to significantly affect users’ adoption intentions. This study contributes to the literature by validating an extended UTAUT2 framework within the context of drone delivery and by offering empirically grounded insights into user acceptance in Canada, which can inform both future research and implementation efforts.