UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper: 75% of the customers consider free return shipping important when selecting online retailers
To succeed in today’s dynamic retail market, businesses are compelled to understand consumer expectations, shopping behaviours, and channel preferences better than ever before. The 2017 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study analyses the behaviour of the online shopper throughout the customer journey, from pre-purchase research to the buying process and post-purchase expectations. The findings clearly show that convenience often drives decisions, while relevant and transparent information seals the purchase – whether that information is about delivery options, shipping costs, estimated delivery time, or ease of returning a product.
75% of the customers consider free return shipping important when selecting online retailers and 52% of them find the number of shipping options offered important when searching for and selecting products online.
Smartphones gain ground, as 30% of smartphone users consider digital payment tools (PayPal, ApplePay etc.) as their preferred payment method. As predicted, millenials make 24% of their online purchases via smartphone.
Marketplaces make inroads, as 38% of online shoppers who bought an item from an international retailer said they found a lower price on a marketplace. Top reasons for purchasing on a marketplace are:
- 67% better prices;
- 43% broader selection of products;
- 41% free and discounted shipping.
Top important factors when searching for and selecting products online:
- 76% products price;
- 71% shipping fees;
- 71% detailed product information.
The UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper 2017 (volume 1) evaluates consumer shopping habits from pre purchase to post delivery. The 2017 study was fielded in Q3 2017 and is based on a comScore survey of 6,478 online shoppers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. Respondents made at least two online purchases in a typical 3-month period.
