4 things we learned from the Royal Mail Delivery Matters Report

4 things we learned from the Royal Mail Delivery Matters Report

Men spend more online
On average, men spent £343 online in the last 3 months, whereas women spent on average £256. Quite a difference, especially considering that women’s clothing makes up 38% of all online sales, only bettered by books at 40%. So what are men buying? Well, books for one. However, book sales are down 5% year on year, a trend which looks set to continue due to the rise in popularity of e-readers.

Delivery tracking would encourage further purchases
73% of online shoppers claim that access to delivery tracking would improve their confidence in purchasing online. That’s a large majority. This has ramifications throughout any eCommerce fulfilment process and requires eCommerce teams to carefully select their carrier partners based on the level of order tracking provided. 

Read Whistl's Research Insight on the Importance of Parcel Tracking

Cart abandonment shows no sign of improvement
33% of shoppers admit to regularly abandoning their baskets online, with availability or price cited as the key reasons. However, issues with delivery continue to play a key role in driving abandonments. Of the 33% of shoppers who fail to check out:

• 57% abandoned due to delivery concerns
• 45% objected to delivery charges
• 20% abandoned due to delivery times being too long
• 17% were unhappy with delivery options

The simplest way to overcome these objections is to be clear, and upfront with all delivery charges, options, and details, ideally, placing delivery details on the home page, and alongside the ‘buy now' button. Giving customers delivery details before checking out, gives greater confidence. 49% of shoppers claimed that clear delivery charges would prompt more purchases. Of course, offering free delivery, free returns, and a choice of parcel tracking options is sure to be a winner. However, this can be a costly strategy in your overall e-fulfilment strategy.

When shoppers do abandon, they shop elsewhere
31% of people who abandon a basket go on to buy the same item elsewhere. This shows just how serious basket abandonment is. Fail to convert a sale online, and eCommerce retailers risk losing customers in the long term, especially if the reason for the abandonment is down to delivery options. Where price is the concern, you’ll have to make up for any price differences by offering a very high level of customer service, in order to win over a customer.
For the full Royal Mail report, click here