New ‘Doorstep Economy’ set to transform retailing and service industries, says Barclaycard

Barclaycard has announced that its new research on the ‘Doorstep Economy’ has revealed a surge in UK businesses gearing up to meet consumers’ expectations for an ever-increasing range of products and services to be delivered ‘on-demand’ and at speed to homes and offices across the country. The research, which was conducted by Opinium Research in October, showed that retailers and their delivery partners will have to raise their game, because consumers who order goods or services online are expecting much more from providers in the way that their goods and services are delivered.

In a statement posted on its website yesterday (2 December), Barclaycard commented: “Over a third (35%) choose a provider based on its delivery options and one in six consumers (17%) want to receive goods or services instantly after having ordered them. More than one in three of us (37%) would even be happy to receive our deliveries by robot in the name of convenience.”

However, the research also showed that retailers are indeed rising to the challenge.

“The growth in online shopping means that a third of retailers (32%) think it is now more important to offer an online and delivery service than it is to have a physical store and one in six (17 %) has even opted to become an online-only retailer in the last 12 months,” said Barclaycard.

“In addition, almost four in ten have launched a new website (39%) or employed more delivery staff (37%) and a quarter (25%) have introduced a new ordering and payments app. 23% of service providers have also increased employee wages as a result of requiring staff to work on irregular shift patterns and 22% have taken on more freelance workers.

“A third of businesses (32%) also report that customers expect orders to be delivered, or appointments to be available (33%), more quickly than this time last year. In response, more than a quarter of service providers (26%) have started to provide a broader range of appointments (e.g. at weekends, early morning and in the evening).”

Barclaycard said that this drive to offer more customer choice will continue. Over the next 12 months, almost a quarter (23%) of companies also plan to widen their delivery services to new locations and more than three in ten (31%) expect to offer more online promotions to incentivise purchases.

So, the momentum is building, but Barclaycard warned that there is still a lot of catching-up to do in order to keep pace with consumers’ expectations. The research showed that 9% of businesses only introduced their delivery services in the last year, and the majority (58%) still do not offer an app as an option for their customers – even though 76% of UK adults now own a smartphone.

Philip McHugh, Chief Executive Officer, Barclaycard Business Solutions, summarised the opportunities – and the challenges – which lie ahead for companies look to service the Doorstep Economy: “Today’s consumers are not only savvy in shopping for the best price but are also opting for providers who can deliver goods and services where and when they want them.

“Delivery services are going through a period of rapid innovation, from those who promise to provide almost anything to your door in under an hour, to those who are set to trial delivery by drone in the near future.

“The gauntlet for fast and flexible service has been firmly laid down, the challenge for businesses now is to keep pace with rising expectations while providing an offering which also compliments the bottom line.”