Hermes survey: “Consumers want more for less”

Internet shoppers want more for less when it comes to home delivery, according to new research from Hermes. The Parcel Deliveries Usage & Attitude Survey found that whilst guaranteed next or specific day delivery, SMS notification and real-time tracking information are increasingly desired by the online consumer they are not prepared to pay extra for it. In fact it is cost that remains the key consideration with 95% of respondents identifying this as important when selecting a shipping option.

One thousand Internet shoppers took part in the survey and the results highlight their reluctance to pay large premiums to receive a higher quality service and a growing expectation that SMS notification and real-time tracking data should be provided as standard.

In fact, 25% of respondents said they would not pay for guaranteed next-day delivery, with a further 50% unwilling to pay more than a £2 charge. Meanwhile, 45% did not want to pay to choose a specific delivery day and only 15% thought that an additional charge above £2 was acceptable.

However, the survey shows that despite the reluctance to pay more shoppers are still looking for high levels of convenience from a home delivery service that comes when they are available and provides up to date information on order status. As a result, 72% said that Saturday was the best day for deliveries, whilst between 6-7pm was selected as the preferred time of the day for a delivery.

Elsewhere, the survey found that consumers have no real preference about who delivers their parcel as long as it arrives quickly and in good condition. Only 15% of respondents stated they preferred a uniformed delivery service from a national carrier, with 71% stating that it doesn’t matter who handled the delivery.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a growing trend towards leaving parcels with neighbours or in a safe place with three-quarters of respondents preferring this to receiving a card and having to rearrange delivery.

The returns process remains a continuing issue for online shoppers, with 16% returning at least one item per order. More than 50% have used the Post Office to return goods, but of those that have, 39% found it inconvenient and 30% found the experience slow. However, 78% said that they would find a returns service that could be organised online and collected from their home or safe place appealing.

Carole Woodhead, CEO of Hermes in the UK, commented: “We undertook this research as we believe it is vital to better understand how our end user customers feel about home delivery. We have shared these findings with our retail customers and in many cases we have been reassured that we are offering the kind of service on-line shoppers want.  We will continue to take these findings on board as we look at future developments in the business.”

The online research, conducted by SharpFocus on behalf of Hermes, the UK’s largest courier delivery network, surveyed 1,000 Internet shoppers who had taken deliveries from e-retailers at least three times in the proceeding three months.