Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic and an unprecedented parcel carrier capacity crunch that has been steadily driving up shipping costs to residential addresses, consumers still expect free and fast delivery.
Surveys have shown that more than 70% of U.S. consumers indicate that free delivery “greatly impacts” their purchasing decisions. Next to product costs, not offering free delivery –or the price of paid delivery--is the second most common reason for shopping cart abandonment.
Interestingly, 70% of visitors to eCommerce sites are not making it through the purchasing process. It has been estimated that 84.27% abandoned a purchase, quote, or booking after already putting it into the online shopping cart before being derailed by information—or lack thereof—at that point in the purchasing process.
As shown in the eBook, “10 Brand-Enhancing Moves Retailers Can Make to Optimize Customers’ Delivery Experience, “unexpected or unclear costs, including shipping, are cited by close to 50% of shoppers who have abandoned a shopping cart. So even if a lack of free delivery isn’t the driver for cart abandonment,
With the expectation of free deliveries driving up overall customer acquisition costs, eCommerce businesses and the 3PLs that support them are looking for ways to make omnichannel fulfillment more economical. This is a challenge for those used to operating B2B fulfillment models where LTL and TL line hauls to D.C.’s offered a significant cost/pound advantage over D2C parcel shipping. They need a way to combine line haul cost efficiencies with the quality of last-mile delivery experiences.
To learn more about how to deliver a customer experience that will not only get customers to complete the purchase but come back for more, check out the eBook, "10 Brand-Enhancing Moves Retailers Can Make to Optimize Customers’ Delivery Experience," originally written by our technology partner and reseller of Transtream, Sendflex Technology.