A third (34%) of retailers don’t offer next day delivery, according to research from ParcelHub and Brightpearl.
This is despite the fact that when it comes to paying for delivery, 45% of consumers said the options of next day delivery would make them more likely to buy, more than double the number who said the same for two-day delivery and of click and collect, at 22% of consumers.
But customers are swayed by free delivery too. 58% of consumers said that free delivery would make them more likely to shop with a brand and would be more tolerant of longer delivery times when delivery is free.
The majority (40%) said that they would be happy to wait for up to a week, with only 11% expecting free delivery on the same or the next day.
The survey showed that retailers who had invested in Order Management Systems (OMS) or Delivery Management Platforms (DMP) are in a better position to offer next day delivery as the delivery option availability rises to 74% and 73% respectively.
Although (73%) of merchants believe they are offering enough delivery options, one-third do not offer next day delivery, the most popular option for consumers. The same issue exists when considering the top five delivery options that consumers would like to see in terms of in-flight delivery options. With many retailers not currently offering these delivery options this presents an opportunity for them to differentiate against competitors.
Steve Marjoram, managing director at Parcelhub, said: “The world of ecommerce has undergone a lot of changes and new hurdles in the last year. Retailers need to invest in their order and delivery management to overcome the challenges and to ensure that they can be adaptable and flexible, as well as offering an experience after the buy button that matches the expectations of the consumer.”
