E-commerce delivery preferences worldwide
Fast, convenient, transparent, sustainable, and free. That is how consumers worldwide expect their online shopping delivery experience to be. Unfortunately, this combination of elements of e-commerce delivery is hard to unite for even the most evolved e-tailers. For merchants, organizing online order delivery in a way that is quick and sustainable often comes with high costs, and most consumers are unwilling to foot the bill. This means that difficult choices must be made.
Specific delivery preferences vary by region, but at least one trend can be observed with consumers globally. The dilemma between fast, convenient, free, and sustainable delivery is not much of a dilemma after all: at the time of writing, the green choice remains the least popular one.
Sustainability is important, right?
Sustainability is an omnipresent and crucial concept in today’s society. As a result, environmental friendliness has become a key pillar in shopping behavior, as well as in brand profiles and marketing. However, when it comes to e-commerce delivery preferences, sustainability has not been the most important consideration. In fact, global surveys reveal that in virtually every market, green delivery is near the bottom of the priority list. As much as today’s consumer values green brand practices and vows to contribute to a healthier planet, price and convenience still trump sustainability. Criteria such as next-day delivery and free delivery are deal-breakers for shoppers globally, while only 21 percent of consumers consider carbon-neutral delivery as an important purchasing consideration.Delivery reimagined
Efficiency is key when looking at how e-commerce delivery can be improved in the future. For the sake of efficiency and convenience, consumers are willing to make sacrifices on speed and price. For instance, combining orders into a single delivery at the end of the week has the interest of nearly four in ten global consumers. Another concept that could dramatically increase delivery efficiency is the parcel locker. While the majority of consumers still prefer to receive their packages at home, parcel lockers and pick-up points are the second-most popular delivery locations. Similarly, the order return process can also be reimagined to improve efficiency. Consumers worldwide are divided when it comes to return preferences – whereas Italian shoppers favor a courier pickup approach, Australian consumers prefer to return items in-store. Exploring various order return systems to find the most popular and efficient approach for the respective customer base is a great way for brands and retailers to enhance their e-commerce experience.Specific delivery preferences vary by region, but at least one trend can be observed with consumers globally. The dilemma between fast, convenient, free, and sustainable delivery is not much of a dilemma after all: at the time of writing, the green choice remains the least popular one.
