nShift research finds delivery options top the wish list for Black Friday shoppers

Shoppers rank shipping and delivery options higher than loyalty programs, discount codes, and special packaging when Black Friday shopping

70 percent of Black Friday shoppers look for free deliveries, alongside low product prices, before buying, a poll by nShift, the global leader in parcel delivery management, has found.

The survey of almost 10,000 online shoppers further found that delivery options top the list of purchase incentives for consumers. In addition to free deliveries:

• 50% of respondents would opt for faster delivery
• 28% would buy if they were offered appropriate delivery options reflecting their needs

Other commonly used incentives are less popular with shoppers. Only 10% of respondents said discount codes for other retailers would be a strong enough incentive. 7% agreed gift packaging would encourage purchase. Loyalty programs were selected by just 6% of respondents.

Sean Sherwin-Smith, Product Director Post Purchase at nShift, said: “Our poll shows just how important deliveries are to customers today. For them, the delivery experience is the continuation of their customer journey. Retailers can ill-afford to outsource this critical process to just one or two carriers. They need to give customers real choice and flexibility over the delivery of their purchases, as well as returns.

“In practice, that means having access to a wide variety of carriers, including high-speed and low-emissions options. It also entails a slick customer experience which is intuitive, reassuring, and simple for customers to navigate.”

Learn how deliveries can build customer loyalty and support growth. Download the guide: “Shipping for growth: how building the right delivery experience can facilitate scalable growth.”

The nShift poll was conducted over two days over Black Friday 2023. 9,766 online shoppers who use the My Parcels app to track their deliveries responded.

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