Failed online deliveries to cost retailers £464m in returns this Christmas

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Dec 14, 2017

The majority of consumers value getting their online purchases as quickly as possible, but new research has revealed that nearly half of consumers currently receive their orders late.

According to a survey of 2,000 UK shoppers from delivery experience company Sorted, Brits are planning to spend on average £255 on Christmas gifts online, which will put increased pressure on retailers to deliver on time.

The report suggest there could be up to £2.3bn worth of failed online deliveries during peak trading this year, costing retailers £464.9m in returned goods alone. Additionally, 48% of consumers are less likely to shop with a retailer again if their product is delivered late.

Sorted said inflexibility is causing the majority of the country’s failed deliveries, as 25% of them were due to shoppers not being able to change their delivery options once an item has been shipped. Shoppers are also struggling to stay at home waiting for their deliveries, with 17% of those surveyed admitting to giving up waiting for an order they couldn’t reschedule.

David Grimes, founder and CEO at Sorted, commented: “As retailers increasingly compete on the last mile, consumers have now become accustomed to receiving seamless deliveries - they expect speed, convenience and personalisation as standard. And, with the time pressure of delivering orders in time for Christmas, shoppers’ expectations reach fever pitch.

“To enhance the delivery experience and meet consumers’ demands, retailers need to closely manage customer expectations about speed of delivery during peak trading. Simple functionality, such as letting customers choose from a range of the best available delivery options to define what the perfect delivery looks like to them, and then delivering on that promise, will greatly reduce delayed orders and, ultimately, returns during peak trading.”