How important is parcel tracking to your business and your customers?

Parcel tracking can provide needed reassurance to both your business and your customers when items are in the process of being delivered, the profitability of the sale is almost on hold. With customers needing more items delivered, due to many stores being closed over the last 12 months, parcel tracking and transparency of the delivery process has become more important to more people.

To understand more about the changes in consumer behaviour, Whistl partnered with Statista to analyse the changes in shopping habits and the impact it has had on parcel deliveries in the UK.

Contents Overview:

The growth of online shopping Staying on the right track The COVID-19 effect Consumer drivers Part and parcel of the service Benefits of parcel tracking Delivering the goodsHow can Whistl can help?

Download Whistl's Infographic: The Importance of Parcel Tracking

The growth of online shopping

The last 12 months has created more need for change in our consumer buying habits, with many high street stores needing to stay closed and consumers staying home more, to keep each other safe. The number of digital buyers worldwide had increased each year and in response to the pandemic, many traditional retailers switched their strategies to e-Commerce operations, to continue to provide goods and services, 2020 saw 84% of the UK population shopping online. This equates to 57million users buying goods online and this behaviour is here to stay with a projected 59million users by the end of 2021.

^{Users in shown in millions.}

^{Source: Statista (Forecast adjusted for the expected impact of COVID-19), November 2020}

Staying on the right track

Over 2.8 billion parcels were sent in the UK alone in the last financial year.

The figure has increased dramatically to this point in recent years, and so have our expectations of courier services. 

volumes of packages shipped in the UK from 2013 to 2020 (in billions) 

^{Source: Statista (2020)}

The COVID-19 effect

As the world reacted to Covid-19, many purchases usually made offline suddenly moved online, for a range of goods across range sectors. Agile companies worldwide had to react and rethink their offering radically, in a new world.

When Statista ran a survey "COVID-19 Barometer 2020" the following countries saw a shift to online instead of offline purchasing due to the pandemic.

‘I have shifted to online purchases’

_{Source Statista:¹Survey period March 23, 2020 - May 3, 2020}

"Have you deliberately purchased any of these products or services online instead of offline because of the COVID-19 / Corona pandemic?"

^{*hand sanitizer, toilet paper. Sources: Statista Survey "COVID-19 Barometer 2020"; Survey period March 23, 2020 - May 10, 2020. Base: n=19,259, all respondents}

So what are some of the other consumer drivers, impacting change?

65% of consumers preferring the option to have items delivered directly to their homes and 62% favoring lower prices.

^{Source: Statista Global Consumer Survey - 2020 Update 1 as of November 2020}

Part and parcel of the service

As consumers, we are ordering more items online than ever before. For more than 7 out of 10 of us, parcel tracking for our online orders improves our confidence in making purchases online.

But just what factors are important to consumers when receiving a delivery?

What are the benefits of parcel tracking?

• Transparency and reassurance for your customers 
• Reduction of customer enquiries relating to parcel tracking
• More control with inflight updates for delivery estimates and changes 

As a business, it can both costly and time-consuming for your customer service department to support parcel tracking queries. With 14% of customers stating poor service being a reason to stop buying from a brand, it is worth looking at tracked parcel delivery options for your goods to give your customers more control and minimise customer service queries. 

​​​​​Parcel tracking offers more transparency and reassurance for your customers, allowing them to review their shipment notifications before contacting you. In most cases, the detail of the parcel tracking consignment notification will allow the customer to know; whether the item has left the warehouse, where it is within the delivery process, and the estimated delivery date and time. When a business sends goods and items with parcel tracking, customers feel more informed.

Delivering the goods

Support the conversion from online visitor to online customer and give relevant delivery options at the checkout.

Parcel tracking and delivery options can really influence a customer's decision, to make a purchase.

Why choose Whistl for your tracked parcel deliveries

Whistl is the leading parcels carrier management specialist, delivering more choice and support for your e-Commerce business. With a wide range of carefully selected delivery carrier partners, we ensure your customers have flexible delivery options for their purchases.

With Whistl you can provide more transparency to your customers, with a choice of parcel tracking options, including 24-hour and 48-hour delivery windows and options for delivery diversions. With Whistl, your customers will have more control of their deliveries.

Download The Importance of Parcel Tracking Infographic

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