Eye on Retail: Shoppers and second chances

A poor delivery experience can ruin a brand in the eyes of some consumers.

Nearly 40% (38.9%) of shoppers are unlikely to give retailers a second chance after a poor delivery experience, according to a survey by delivery management platform FarEye.

And 36.8% of consumers changed their opinion of a brand due to a bad experience.

The research found that delivery delays and poor communication contribute most to bad delivery experiences.

superior delivery experiences are essential to satisfy and retain online shoppers, and could make-or-break consumer loyalty.

The research found that superior delivery experiences are essential to satisfy and retain online shoppers, and could make-or-break consumer loyalty. Throughout the pandemic, real-time communication expectations increased as 25% of customers expect access to real-time tracking information and up-to-date order location notifications throughout the order to delivery experience, according to the study.

“At-home deliveries are the new competitive battlefield for brands and retailers,” said Judd Marcello, chief marketing officer, FarEye. “As e-commerce continues to boom, customers are mandating the buying experience includes superior at-home deliveries. Our survey emphasized the need for retailers to see deliveries as a key differentiator in their offering and critical to creating satisfied, loyal customers.”

Other findings from the survey are below:

• As pandemic restrictions have lifted in the majority of the country, 30% of consumers intend to do most of their shopping in person. Another 32% of consumer survey respondents reported shopping online more since the pandemic and 65% of online shoppers reported preferring home delivery over store pick-up.

• Of the consumers who choose to shop in-stores, 40% of consumers choose in-person shopping for immediacy, 37% do so for product testing.

(This article originally appeared on HBSDealer.com's sister site ChainStoreAge.com.)