Sendcloud: Delivery expectations, inflation and staff shortages are pushing shipping providers to the edge
UK consumers are facing increasing delays in online delivery times, with 41% of consumers claiming their most recent order was delayed, according to a new study by Sendcloud.
The survey of more than 1,000 online consumers in the UK found 71% have had a negative delivery experience within the past three months, ranging from delays (41%), deliveries at different time slots (21%), parcels left in unsecure locations (19%) or not turning up at all (10%).
One in five online shoppers (19%) were forced to wait between two and five days on top of the estimated delivery time, the study found, while 22% never received a notification of impending delays.
Other issues found in the report include consumers receiving invalid tracking numbers (11%), incorrect tracking information (10%), and not being able to change the time of delivery (10%).
Rising costs due to inflation will also affect 47% of respondents’ shopping plans this year, while increased labour costs (46%), product shortages (45%), and supply chain delays (40%) are also top concerns.
Sabi Tolou, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Sendcloud, advised online retailers to adopt a multi-carrier strategy to overcome delivery delays and unexpected events. “Delivery expectations, inflation and staff shortages are pushing shipping providers to the edge. Bottlenecks are being created further down the line, and delivery experiences continue to decline as consumer wait times increase,” he said.
“Working with multiple carriers means retailers can switch between shipping networks if supply chains become congested and better balance demand between logistics suppliers. By offering multiple shipping options, consumers can decide where, when and how they want to receive their order and therefore a more positive experience. A pro-tip is to offer shipping to service points, as the delivery guarantee here is 100%, which reduces the pressure on delivery staff and shortens the delivery time,” Tolou concluded.
