Incredibly, if your delivery is late, you may lose 13% of your customers forever!
I have some important information to share with you about retail delivery. It turns out that nowadays, people want their products to be delivered fast. If you can’t deliver on time, you risk losing lots of customers.
A study by Oracle Retail found that 13% of consumers would never order again from a store if their delivery is late. That’s a big impact!
It’s no secret that customers expect great service from all stores, whether they’re traditional brick-and-mortar shops or online stores like Amazon.
So, if you’re a small business owner, you can’t ignore customer experience. It’s key to building a strong customer base.
The Final Stretch – Delivery Stats
Now, let’s talk about the last part of the delivery process – the time after you’ve checked out. This is a critical moment for customers and their experience. In fact, 65% of retailers plan to offer same-day delivery by the end of the year. Talk about speedy service!
These days, I know you’re not just looking for fast deliveries. You also want them to be hassle-free, right?
Well, guess what? Turns out, a whopping 86% of people like you think that retailers should give you the option to choose the most convenient delivery method when you make a purchase.
But here’s the thing: the reality doesn’t always live up to our expectations. About 47% of folks feel like the delivery options they prefer are sometimes, rarely, or never available.
So, there’s a big disconnect between what you want and what retailers are actually offering when it comes to delivering your purchases.
And here’s the kicker: you’re not all that picky about how your orders get to you. In fact, a whopping 95% of people would be thrilled to get free one-day delivery, no matter how it’s done—whether it’s by drone, driverless car, or a trusty messenger.
image: Oracle Retail
Did you know that online retailers are leading the way in meeting our expectations? It’s true!
According to a recent survey, 61% of us think that online retailers provide the delivery options we desire. But when it comes to direct-to-consumer brands (DTC), only 46% of us feel the same way.
image: Oracle Retail The process of returning a product is really important when it comes to making customers happy.
Customers want returning a product to be easy. But according to a study, 57% of customers think that returning a product is a big hassle and could be simpler.
If I talk about the perfect shopping experience based on the results of the research, it would include a simple checkout process, lots of delivery options, and an easy return process.
How Small Businesses Can Improve Their Delivery Services
Even though you have a small business, you are still competing against big companies. That’s because customers expect the same level of service from you as they do from the big players.
So, you need to step up your delivery service.
- Make it easy for yourself
- Get faster communication with your warehouse
- Choose a well-known partner for handling your orders
- Give your customers a live tracking option
- Keep your customers updated on their orders
Customers want the whole buying process to be easy and stress-free. That’s why it’s important to make it simple for them to return products too, so they have a great experience.
According to Mike Webster, Oracle Retail’s senior vice president and general manager, customer expectations are always changing, and each good experience they have raises the bar for success in retail.
No matter if you’re enjoying the ease of ridesharing, browsing through a super-smooth in-app experience, or stepping into a physical store, you expect the same great service every time. This makes things really challenging for retailers as they compete with other brands and new business models, I said.
About the Study
Savanta Group, a cool and creative research and consulting company, did this study for Oracle Retail. They talked to 15,800 people who like to shop and 200 retailers from four important areas – Europe, JAPAC, LATAM, and North America. If you’re interested, you can grab the full report right here.
