Asian Consumers Have Greater Fulfillment Expectations Than Those in U.S.

Surprisingly, Asian consumers far outstripped their U.S. counterparts in terms of expectations for placing late orders and still qualifying for fast delivery, according to a new global version of the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper survey.

The survey of 18,000 shoppers worldwide, conducted through Q3 of 2017, found that 73% of Asian consumers felt they should be able to place orders between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. and still quality for next-day delivery. This was followed by Mexico (59%), Brazil (51%), Europe (50%), Canada (39%) and the U.S. (36%).

Asian consumers also led the world in terms of expectations for same-day delivery, according to the UPS/comScore survey, with 64% saying they should be able to place an order in the same time window (5 p.m.-9 p.m.) and still get the order delivered that day. Mexico came the closest, at 38% of respondents, with the U.S. again last, at 16%.

Consumers in Europe (77%), the U.S. (75%) and Brazil (70%) were the most likely to have shipped an online order back to a retailer. Those in Canada (64%) the U.S. and Mexico (58% each) had the greatest preference for returning online orders to a local store. That’s good news for retailers, who see sizable incremental sales from those trips.

More U.S. consumers stated a preference for buy online, pickup in store (50%), followed by shoppers in Brazil (44%) and Mexico (42%). But when it came to purchasing additional items while picking up an online order, Mexico led the way at 65%, followed by Asia (60%) and Brazil (58%). The U.S. and Europe had the lowest figures in this category, at 44% each.

With retailers looking to offer greater options and convenience in terms of order pickup, more shoppers are coming to expect this perk. Fifty-four percent of Asian consumers said they already take advantage of redirection to alternate delivery locations, the highest figure in the survey, followed by Brazil (44%) and Europe and Mexico (41% each). The U.S. was last at just 30% of consumers.

“Understanding shoppers and meeting their demands is crucial in this rapidly changing landscape,” said Alan Gershenhorn, chief commercial officer for UPS in a statement. “To stand out, smart companies must recognize that, with competition now coming from around the world, consumers want different ways to make purchases, more convenient ways to receive them and innovative experiences from start to finish.”

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