Market sentiment improves for forklift buyers, with throughput the top goal

Market sentiment has improved among forklift customers 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 the respondents who expect capital expenditure in 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 high numbers of fully automated operations, along with inventory management.

Receiving and unloading suffers 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 damage to stock. 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. In order to address problems in receiving & unloading, 68% of those surveyed plan to invest in more labor and 56% plan to spend on more 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.

“With safety being the top priority when selecting a new technology supplier, operating manual and automated equipment, vendors can differentiate by highlighting product features which focus on this attribute.”