Advertisement

Consumers Expect Prompt And Correct Delivery Of Holiday Orders

Almost one third (29%) of consumers recently surveyed will  no longer shop with a retailer if they receive an incorrect delivery just once, based on an online or phone order, according to a study of 600 consumers conducted by Voxware, a provider of voice solutions.  Additionally, most (55%) of respondents will abandon shopping with a retailer altogether after receiving a late delivery two to three times.

 Other key findings include:

  • 62% of respondents are much less or less likely to shop with a retailer online or by phone for future purchases if an item they purchase online or by phone is not delivered within two days of the date promised
  • 68% of respondents noted that their expectations for correct and on-time delivery of items that they purchase online or by phone are higher during the holiday shopping season
  • 30% of respondents intend to have more or significantly more holiday purchases delivered directly to them this holiday season

On-Time Delivery Is Key

Most survey respondents are willing to wait between 3 and 6 days to receive an item, assuming the retailer is using standard shipping:

Advertisement

  • 5% said 1-2 days
  • 43% said 3-4 days
  • 40% said 5-6 days
  • 12% said 7 or more days


Holidays Heighten Delivery Expectations

Retailers have less room for error, in consumers’ minds, during the holidays. Of the survey participants, 68% noted that their expectations for correct and on-time delivery of items that they purchase online or by phone are higher during the holiday shopping season.

Additionally, more consumers are having items delivered directly to their homes versus buying or picking them up in-store. As many as 30% of respondents stated that they intend to have more or significantly more holiday gifts delivered directly to them this year than during last holiday season.

Although half of respondents had between 40% and 100% of their holiday gifts delivered directly to them last holiday season, retailers can expect even more direct-to-consumer orders this year.  So retailers need to beef up their distribution capabilities to prepare. “As the popularity of online shopping has exploded, retailers have not given enough attention to optimizing their supply chain for multi-channel distribution,” noted Keith Phillips, President and CEO, Voxware. “Many still have an outdated distribution center infrastructure in place and as a result, order fulfillment is often suboptimal. Most inefficiencies and errors occur in the distribution center at the moment of order selection, which has the largest impact on ensuring timely, accurate customer fulfillment.”

Featured Event

Get free access to tactical tips, invaluable insights, and deep-dive conversations that will help you hone your strategies for Q4 and beyond. That way, you can be sure to be on shoppers’ nice lists this holiday season…and all year long.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Access The Media Kit

Interests:

Access Our Editorial Calendar




If you are downloading this on behalf of a client, please provide the company name and website information below: