E-commerce retailers looking to target the US market must ensure their shipping is either priced low or free-of-charge, according to readings from a new survey.
E-commerce retailers looking to target the US market must ensure their shipping is either priced low or free-of-charge, according to readings from a new survey.
The Boston Consulting Group’s study of 1,500 US consumers on what would encourage them to shop more online found that being able to offer free shipping can give companies one of very few competitive edges.
Some retailers might believe that being able to offer next-day delivery would help them attract more customers, but the readings showed that just nine per cent of their customers would be interested in such a proposition.
What consumers actually want is to see their products shipped for free, with almost three quarters of the study group citing this option.
Businesses might struggle to break even by offering this luxury all the time, although advertising the availability of free shipping on certain days might reel in a few more American shoppers.
Still, when faced with the hypothetical situation of having to pay for same-day delivery, warc.com says the average consumer was prepared to make an online payment of $7.50 (£4.98) to see a basket of goods worth $50 (£33.19) arrive the next day.
In other readings, it was unsurprising to find that half of those surveyed wanted to see low prices when browsing through the range of products, reports reuters.com.
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