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Market sentiment is improving among forklift and pallet handling customers
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Throughput is the most important KPI in 2026, followed by orders and automation
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26.3% of Voice of Market survey respondents cited forklifts as their top technology problem, largely due to their widespread use and technological changes
Market sentiment among forklift customers has improved in 2026 compared to 2025, according to new research from Interact Analysis. The market intelligence specialist reveals in its new Voice of Market report that nearly half of respondents who expect capital expenditure on forklift and pallet-handling technology to increase from 12 months ago anticipate growth of more than 15%. E-commerce companies were significantly more bullish than retail, manufacturing/production, third-party logistics, and parcel, with an automation spend index of 82.9 (where 50 is neutral).
Among the decision-makers and influencers surveyed, Interact Analysis found that throughput is the highest-ranked key performance indicator (KPI) for 2026, followed by orders and automation. Currently, the processes with the highest levels of automation include storage, receiving & unloading, and transport & movement. These are also areas with a high number of fully automated operations, including inventory management.
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Receiving and unloading suffer from accuracy and damage issues
When it comes to the top priority for automation, receiving & unloading leads the way, with 54% of respondents choosing it. Challenges associated with receiving & unloading include accuracy and stock damage. At present, this workflow is 26% fully automated, with a further 50% of respondents using some form of automation and the remainder operating fully manual processes. To address problems with receiving & unloading, 68% of those surveyed plan to invest in additional labor, and 56% plan to invest in additional technology.
As companies continue to invest in more autonomy and warehouse technologies, it is important that spending is carefully planned to ensure that solutions integrate effectively and safely into their existing operations.
Monica Sanchez, Senior Research Lead for Voice of Market at Interact Analysis, explains, “There is a trend towards autonomy, creating an asymmetric environment which impacts multiple warehouse KPIs – including productivity, efficiency, and throughput. While there is clear demand for hybrid manual-autonomous forklifts, it is important to recognize that operating both vehicle types in tight, high-paced dock environments introduces coordination and safety complexities that will need to be carefully addressed in solution design.
About the report
The Forklift and Pallet Handling Voice of Market Tracker is a twice-yearly syndicated study that delivers impartial insights – market health, sentiment, investment appetite, pain points, and emerging trends. Facility types covered are: e-commerce, retail, manufacturing/production, third-party logistics, and parcel. Our responses are drawn from decision-makers and influencers involved in the use, selection, and purchase of automation technology for their facilities worldwide. It is not representative of the entire warehousing industry, but rather of the subset of warehouses that are already using or actively exploring automation solutions. As such, results may differ substantially from the comprehensive industry reports we issue.
