Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study finds “Retailers racing to keep up with consumer demand “
The 2017 Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study has found that retailers are “racing to keep up with consumer demand” in a market driven by a “more demanding, frequent and global online shopper”. The study – which is based on survey results of 1,200 retailers from eight countries and 12,000 consumers from 12 global markets – found that retailers still have a long way to go toward meeting consumer expectations, particularly when it comes to the post-purchase experience for online shoppers.
In its statement announcing the study, Pitney Bowes noted: “Nearly half (47%) of online shoppers globally reported frustration with everything from shipping, to returns, to lost products and miscalculated duties and taxes during the 2016 holiday shopping season. What’s worse is that the number of unhappy online holiday shoppers rose six percentage points (pp) over the previous year and increased year-over-year in every single one of the 12 major markets surveyed. Shoppers in Asia Pacific – particularly India (73%), Hong Kong (69%) China (64%) and South Korea (58%) – reported the most challenges. In the US, 36% of online shoppers experienced problems, up five pp from the previous year.”
“As consumers become more experienced with online shopping, they’re shifting more of their holiday spend online and expecting better and better service from retailers,” said Lila Snyder, Executive Vice President and President, Global Ecommerce and Presort Services, Pitney Bowes. “Online shoppers have an entire global marketplace at their fingertips. They expect that there is always a way to get the product they want, shipped where they want, when they want it. This creates both opportunities and challenges for retailers.”
Snyder emphasized what these key challenges are: “With even more purchases expected to be online this year, retailers need to double-down on the elements of the consumer experience that matter most – delivery, returns, tracking and world-class customer care.”
Click here to download a copy of the report.
