Evidence continues to mount that that having a range of options and more certainty about when a package will arrive are more important than 1-2-day delivery, with a survey from UPS-owned contract logistics and fulfillment company Ware2Go just the latest example.
In a July survey of 1,000 consumers by kNow Instant Insights on behalf of Ware2Go, nearly all respondents (90%) said could live without 1-2-day delivery if given various options instead. These included free shipping (70% of respondents), real-time tracking (43%), the ability to choose the delivery date (31%), an in-store pickup option (27%) or a consolidated shipment (24%).
Certainty is a major priority in the minds of consumers, Ware2Go found, with 93% of respondents saying they would wait longer for a package if they knew it would arrive on the promised date. In general, speed has become less of a factor than during the pandemic, when consumers counted on home delivery for everyday items, not just discretionary ones. Without that urgency, e-grocery spending continues to slow.
“Speed, yes, you’ve gotta have it,” said Ware2Go CEO Steve Denton. “You can’t say ‘it will be there in a week,’ but certainty is equally important. What jumped out to me the most was, 67% said they’re checking delivery tracking status daily, but over 70% of them said if they got an email letting them know there was an issue in advance, they’d stop tracking it.”
This kind of proactive notification, Denton said, not only turns around a bad situation and creates a better experience, but saves on support contacts and helps with retention when customer acquisition costs are so high.
“Merchants need to have a supply chain that’s fully integrated with their sales channel, marketing and DTC to ensure accurate delivery dates and advanced order orchestration,” Denton said.
Interestingly, over half of respondents (59%) said they’d be willing to pay a premium for the ability to choose a delivery date. “Certainty is critical for consumers,” he said. “In the world of buying online, people are realizing they don’t need 1-2-day delivery for everything. There are certain things they can wait longer for.”
This infographic provides more detail on the results of the Ware2Go survey:
