Delivery experience more important to online shoppers than loyalty perks or flexible payment, says new report

• The right delivery options and order tracking matter more to new and returning ecom customers than loyalty schemes, perks and payment options
• 85% of shoppers expect to find a clear returns policy and 72% expect a choice of delivery options
• By contrast, loyalty schemes are important to 60% of shoppers, and flexible payment options like buy now, pay later (BNPL) matter to just 49%

Online retailers wishing to attract new customers and keep people coming back for more, should prioritize the delivery experience. This is the conclusion of a new Retail Week and nShift report.   It finds that offering a choice of delivery options matters more to new ecommerce customers than loyalty schemes, perks, and flexible payment options.

According to a new Retail Week report, sponsored by nShift, the delivery and experience management (DMXM) provider, the delivery experience has the power to increase conversions and help retailers out-perform competitors. While less than half of returning customers view BNPL options as vital, some 70% confirmed that delivery choice was critical.

“Shopper Unlocked: inside the mind of 1,000 consumers” found that:

• Over 70% of shoppers consider a choice of delivery options important
• 84% of customers would prioritize the ability to track where their order is at all times
• 85% of people shopping with a retailer for the first time expect to find a clear returns policy
• 62% of shoppers will abandon their basket if the delivery is too expensive
• 63% want to specify the time and date of a delivery
• Pick up/drop off (PUDO) lockers and collection points are important delivery options for shoppers aged under 45

Mattias Gredenhag, CTO at nShift said, “Deliveries hold the keys to helping retailers stand out from the crowd, build loyalty with customers and grow their revenue. But if businesses simply treat shipping as a purely logistical feat, they miss a huge chance to turn deliveries into a competitive advantage.

“Effective delivery management ensures retailers have connections to all the carriers they need to offer customers personalized delivery options. This includes next-day, zero-emissions, lockers, and more. It also enables warehouse teams to handle greater volumes of orders. An outstanding customer experience joins the dots from the checkout to the customer’s doorstep and on to buying again. It should be easy and intuitive for customers, while yielding insights and intelligence to help retailers run a tighter business.”

nShift is the world’s leading provider of delivery & experience Management (DMXM) solutions. DMXM combines the core aspects of delivery management, such as label printing and multi-carrier booking capability with customer-facing applications. It turns shipping and deliveries into a customer experience which surprises and delights shoppers, while reducing costs and unlocking efficiencies across warehouses and delivery teams.

DMXM with nShift enables retailers to:

• Grow beyond limits – with a library of 1000+ carriers, nShift enables retailers to expand internationally and offer more delivery choices to customers at checkout. This increases conversion rates
• Connect every stage of the customer journey, by offering the right delivery options at checkout (including popular zero-emissions and pick-up, drop-off deliveries), a superior tracking experience, and simple returns which maximize revenue retention
• Enable data-tight ecommerce, by combining data from carriers, logistics, and other business systems. DMXM brings this information together, helping retailers sharpen customer insights, break down internal silos, and drive operational efficiency
• Out-perform competitors – whether by engaging with customers in new ways or increasing the throughput of deliveries and fulfillment teams. nShift helps retailers stay one step ahead of the rest by investing more in R&D than its closest competitors

Read the new Retail Week report, sponsored by nShift - Shopper Unlocked: inside the mind of 1,000 consumers.

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