In a survey conducted in partnership with Hanover Research, we found that shipping expectations vary by generation and shopping frequency. The survey highlights the importance for retailers to offer fast and free shipping and returns in 2019, and the increasing desire for expedited shipping options among consumers.
Shipping is integral to the overall e-commerce experience and consumers choose where to shop based on shipping costs and delivery times, according to the survey. However, the survey also reveals that there are gaps between what retailers are charging for shipping and returns and what shoppers want.
Key findings include:
The need for speed: Shoppers want their merchandise quickly and younger generations are willing to pay a premium for that convenience. A third of those surveyed rank fast delivery as the most important consideration when shopping online, and 63 percent of consumers expect their items to be delivered within three days.
Free is key: Half of shoppers surveyed have abandoned a shopping cart due to high shipping fees and the top reason consumers stop buying from an online retailer is because of high shipping costs. Free or discounted shipping is the second most important consideration for shoppers.
Free returns differentiate: Three quarters of those surveyed look for the ability to return items for free when choosing where to shop online. However, despite the importance consumers place on free returns, nearly half of all retailers charge for returns.
The survey results provide retailers, carriers and other verticals within the e-commerce life cycle unique insights into the next generations’ shopping and behavior patterns. Generation Z and millennials know what they want, and there is a real opportunity to stay ahead of the curve.
About the survey:
Findings are based on a survey commissioned by LaserShip and conducted by Hanover Research in Q3 2018 of 1,014 U.S. online shoppers about shipping and delivery experiences. The survey includes responses from Generation Z (23 percent), millennials (22 percent), Generation X (26 percent), and baby boomers and older (29 percent). Geographically, shoppers represented urban (26 percent), suburban (57 percent), and rural (15 percent) areas. Respondents were classified by shopping behavior as casual (20 percent), intermediate (41 percent), and avid (39 percent) shoppers. Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding. Some respondents chose not to answer certain demographic questions.
About Hanover Research:
Founded in 2003, Hanover Research is a global market research and analytics firm that delivers market intelligence through a unique, fixed-fee model to more than 1,000 clients. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Hanover employs high-caliber market researchers, analysts, and account executives to provide a service that is revolutionary in its combination of flexibility and affordability. Hanover was named a Top 50 Market Research Firm by the American Marketing Association in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, and has also been twice named a Washington Business Journal Fastest Growing Company. To learn more about Hanover Research, visit https://www.hanoverresearch.com.
