Retailers risk lower cart conversions when they rely on limited carrier capacity

New nShift report encourages online retailers to transform the delivery experience with multi-carrier capability

Online retailers risk reputational damage and lower cart conversions if they attempt to outsource their delivery experience to just one or a small group of carrier companies. This is the warning from nShift, the world’s leading provider of delivery and experience management (DMXM) solutions.

A new nShift guide explores how deliveries hold the keys to helping retailers stand out from the crowd, keeping customers happy, and unlocking efficiencies. Some 70% of online shoppers agree that a choice of delivery options at checkout is important.[1]

“Creating customer choice and unlocking efficiencies: the power of multi-carrier delivery management”, the new nShift guide, details the benefits to retailers of supporting multiple carrier companies.

• Increased conversions - shoppers expect to find the shipping solution they seek. For some, price is paramount. Others would prefer to collect their delivery from a pick up/drop off (PUDO) locker. When retailers team-up with a range of carriers, they can pick and choose which specific shipping solutions suit the customer
• Boost delivery capacity - working with a range of transport partners makes it easier to respond to shifting patterns of behavior and scale up during the all-important peak season
• Improve delivery quality and efficiency – when deploying a range of carriers, businesses can compare performance across the board. This gives the retailer real data to negotiate rates and identify the best options for customers
• Grow beyond borders - shipping internationally requires relationships with carrier companies that serve the relevant territories. And to create real consumer choice in each market, retailers are likely to want to work with more than one carrier partner in each country
• Build the brand and remarket to customers - when using a range of delivery providers, it makes sense for vendors to manage customer communications directly, to ensure consistency. Because people tend to open these messages more than other communications from retailers, they create a perfect opportunity to weave in product plugs

Sean-Sherwin Smith, Product Director, Post Purchase at nShift said, “In a world of constantly rising consumer expectations, the delivery experience matters more than ever. By grasping the opportunities and creating integrated delivery and experience management, retailers can transform deliveries from a world of boxes to a world of opportunity.

Multi-carrier capability powers an outstanding delivery experience. It enables retailers to offer real consumer choice, boost capacity and build their brand with shoppers. It empowers retailers’ logistics teams to make informed comparisons between carrier companies, drive up quality and negotiate better rates.”

Multi-carrier capability is at the heart of nShift’s DMXM suite of solutions. It provides enterprise-grade delivery management with a library of 1000+ ready-made carrier connections. nShift can connect retailers and consumers to over one million PUDO (pick up / drop off) locations. Retailers can automate the carrier-booking and label-printing process. This helps retailers send out more parcels, work with more carriers, and tightly control the delivery experience.

nShift Checkout enables retailers to seamlessly display different delivery options. It can be set up to reflect the look and feel of the retailer’s web shop. Icons can be used to badge different delivery options.

nShift has recently updated its checkout software. The latest version of nShift Checkout enables retailers to offer personalized delivery options for each customer. This includes the ability to A/B test different delivery options so that they can discover what their customers really want. This creates useful data to increase conversions at checkout and negotiate the right arrangements with carrier companies.

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[1] Shopper Unlocked: inside the mind of 1,000 consumers, Retail Week and nShift