As we have reported before, shipping is a vital part of the online purchase experience. [See 1, 2, 3.] Because of this, Pitney Bowes recently conducted a study about customer shipping preferences for the upcoming holiday season.
Jacqueline Renfrow, reporting for FierceRetail, sums up Pitney Bowes’ key findings:
“Most U.S. adults plan to holiday shop in store, 94 percent, and online, 92 percent. Of those choosing E-commerce, 49 percent will make purchases from a mobile device and 94 percent from a computer, according to the 2015 Holiday Shopping Survey by Pitney Bowes. Shipping is important for 93 percent of consumers, a 23 percent increase from last holiday season. In fact, 88 percent of respondents preferred free shipping in five to seven days over paying to get items delivered in one to two days.”
Check out this infographic for more shipping information from Pitney Bowes.
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I think it’s dependent on the ability for the retailer and shipper to follow through. Last year, due to the increasing demand several of my promised orders did not meet their 5-7 day window as promised. Within reason, I don’t have a problem paying shipping. Last year I learned my lesson that free is not a license to guarantee anything so I’m better paying for shipping. Retailers should be realistic with shipping time frames due to increasing volumes instead of giving low-end time frames and consumers should start shopping early–to avoid weather and volume delays!
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