London shoppers calling out for more flexible delivery options
Almost nine in ten (89%) Londoners say delivery providers have an influence over their decision to purchase from a particular retailer, according to a new survey from urban logistics specialist Brisqq.
Furthermore, more than two thirds (67%) of the survey respondents said time slots are too vague and almost a third (31%) considered that delivery options are not flexible enough to fit their lifestyles.
Retailers should note that consumers do have high expectations. More than half (54%) of the 1,000 respondents had a “minimum expectation” that retailers should offer deliveries that are within an hour of a requested, time, date and location; and 16% expected retailers to offer deliveries at an exact time of the customer’s choice.
In addition to this, 96% of respondents said that providing delivery at an exact time slot determines who they shop with.
Commenting on the results, Andrew Mukerjee, co-founder and CEO, Brisqq, said: “In the current retail climate, bricks and mortar stores need to provide more choice and flexibility if they want to remain relevant. The research highlights the growing demand for fast and flexible deliveries, likely because of the choice and convenience offered by e-commerce giants such as Amazon. This is often neglected when it comes to offline retail.”
Consumers are also frustrated with inaccurate tracking systems: 79% of the survey respondents reported that the delivery tracking of traditional services is not always accurate.
“Retailers should consider the latest logistics technologies to meet shoppers’ growing demand for flexible but accurate delivery,” said Mukerjee.
“By using disruptive delivery technologies paired with crowdsourcing freelance ‘couriers’, retailers can begin to match shoppers’ expectations for deliveries that are within an hour of their requested time, date and location. With over 60% of Londoners now using on-demand logistics services such as Deliveroo, Uber and Amazon Prime at least once a month, there is huge potential for the bricks and mortar retailers to win back customers if they get their delivery offering right.”
