Almost three quarters of shoppers have abandoned an online shop because of restricted or expensive delivery options, according to research by express carrier DPD.

Forty per cent of online shoppers complained that they were generally not offered a free delivery option and 37 per cent said retailers annoyed them when they limited the delivery options or pre-selected expensive options.

Some 75 per cent said their preferred option was free delivery – but 26 per cent said timed delivery options were more important. And 41 per cent of shoppers wanted retailers to offer a wider range of delivery options.

  Dwain McDonald

DPD chief Dwain McDonald said:  "The cost and speed of delivery are crucial factors in whether a customer completes a transaction or abandons their shopping cart at the checkout.

"Online cart abandonment costs e-tailers millions of pounds each year in lost sales. Put simply, limited delivery options cost sales."

Richard Wilding, professor of supply chain strategy at Cranfield School of Management, said:  Generally the customer does not differentiate between the courier and the company the item was purchased from, therefore a poor experience reflects badly on the retailer. However a good delivery experience can enhance their reputation, gain customer loyalty and increase sales."

Comments

This is not suprising as people want everything for nothing these days. But delivery charges are either 'hidden' in the original cost or added. There is no such thing as 'free' delivery. This has been boiling for years because some have been selling 'hidden' costs to their customers for years. But I've found that transparency in delivery costs is the best option, and a sliding scale of costs based upon the delivery window is more controllable and helps our customers to avoid failed or late deliveries, hence repeat business.
Nick Simpson 08 Aug 2012

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