Online UK shoppers value simple delivery and returns experience
Amazon and eBay are still the UK’s most popular online marketplaces, according to a new study commissioned by Royal Mail – and a simple delivery and returns experience is a big draw for online shoppers.
According to the survey, 80% of marketplace shoppers buy monthly from Amazon, including 17% doing so weekly. 76% of marketplace shoppers purchase from eBay every month and 16% do so on a weekly basis.
The study, part of Royal Mail’s annual Delivery Matters report, found that clothes (32%) are the most commonly purchased item from online marketplaces, closely followed by books (31%).
Consumers are choosing to buy on marketplaces due to low prices and deals (76%) and the range of products available (70%). They pick marketplaces over online retailers because they can find better deals (60%), purchase items they can’t find elsewhere (51%) and there’s more variety of the item they’re looking for (38%).
Nick Landon, Managing Director of Royal Mail Parcels, said “The rise of online marketplaces is impacting the way consumers shop online and how retailers sell to their customers. Shoppers increasingly expect the same experience when purchasing on a marketplace to when buying goods from an online retailer. Businesses that are selling via marketplaces need to ensure they are offering the best customer service possible, with a positive delivery and returns experience at the centre of this.”
The study also revealed that delivery options are key when shoppers choose between marketplace sellers and 75% of shoppers expect delivery times to be the same when ordering from an online marketplace as when they order from an online retailer.
When it comes to returns, 59% of those surveyed said the returns experience would impact the rating they would give to a seller and 62% would be unlikely to shop with a seller again after a difficult returns experience. 78% expect the returns process with an online marketplace seller to be similar or easier than with online retailers.
