More than a THIRD of shoppers have been let down by an online order since COVID-19 crisis, according to a new Brightpearl survey
* 36% have been let down by an online order since the crisis started
* 45% of buyers say online deliveries are taking longer to arrive
* 42% of consumers claim unreliable delivery has lessened their trust in online shopping since the start of the pandemic
More than a third of shoppers have been let down by an online order since the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new Brightpearl study. It found that 42% of consumers say that unreliable delivery has lessened their trust in online shopping since the start of the pandemic. Four out of ten buyers (42%) say online deliveries are taking longer to arrive since social distancing restrictions were introduced across the country earlier this year.
The survey of 2,000 consumers from Brightpearl, which provides digital operations solutions for some of the world’s biggest retail brands, showed a huge shift to online shopping since the start of the crisis which is likely to accelerate in 2021. Some 53% of consumers are now buying things online more than normal, with almost 8 in 10 shoppers (78%) expected to increase online purchasing over the next 12 months.
However, while increasing numbers of shoppers are switching to online, there is a ‘crisis of confidence’ in some consumers over the reliability of many retailers’ online deliveries. Despite the increases in online shopping habits, 78% of shoppers still say they will need to be ‘very careful’ with their money over the next year and 49% have already cut down on ‘frivolous’ spending. As a result, only 27% of American shoppers say they will continue to shop as they did before the crisis.
One of the main shifts in spending habits since COVID has been the switch to more local shopping and a move away from malls. A whopping 75% of consumers say they will shop more locally over the next year and 71% say they will buy from independent retailers. Amazon still dominates online, and is set to be an even bigger winner over the next twelve months with 56% of consumers saying they will use it more in 2021 but 30% of shoppers say they do feel ‘guilty’ about abandoning physical stores for the ease of Amazon.
“As shoppers, trends that were in their infancy and forecast to, in some cases, materialise over the course of the decade have been accelerated beyond all recognition”, said Andrew Busby, CEO of Retail Reflections and IBM Futurist. “For retailers, the challenge now is to adapt to our altered online behaviours. As Brightpearl’s data shows, on the delivery side of the equation, that simply isn’t happening at the level it should be.”
The data also reveals some concerning insights for main street retailers. More than half of shoppers (55%) are now buying things online that they only previously bought in-store and 38% of buyers are less likely to shop in-store than they were before COVID. The survey revealed that 41% of shoppers also plan to increase their use Of Buy Online Pick Up In Store services over the next 12 months.
Brightpearl CEO Derek O’Carroll said: “There has been a big shift to online post-Covid but delivery reliability has created a crisis of confidence in some consumers and brands could still suffer or miss out on this digital opportunity if they don’t improve service, especially after the buy button. Over the next year, online brands are going to have to up their game and make online deliveries faster, more reliable and flexible. Shoppers want more choice in their delivery options, whether that’s same-next day delivery, or curbside pickup options. The survey highlighted some surprising findings. It’s clear that it’ll be those brands most prepared for this once in a generation digital transformation that will see the most success long-term.” www.brightpearl.com/winnersandlosers
