British consumers are becoming increasingly more demanding when it comes to delivery. Gone are the days when anyone would be happy to wait for ten days to have something shipped. In fact, according to research by delivery management company Whistl, 7% of British consumers want same day delivery or courier services and nothing else. This figure is only likely to grow as more retailers offer swift services, creating an expectation that getting your order within a very small window is the norm. So, if you’re a business or a retailer how do you keep up?
Understanding your customer is key
Many businesses go wrong simply as a result of a lack of understanding of what customers really want. Did you know, for example, that around 12% of people demand next day delivery? However, roughly a third of people would be happy to wait for delivery up to two or three days. It’s crucial to understand what your own customers want when it comes to delivery and what their expectations are in terms of timing and cost.
It’s important to offer a range of services
Customers tend to get into some fairly predictable habits but, even so, may need to switch their delivery options depending on their own lifestyle needs. Plus, if you only offer one type of delivery or courier services then you are effectively excluding a large number of customers from your business. So, if you want to be able to meet the increasingly complex demands of British consumers it’s important to offer a range of delivery and courier services, from next day through to shipping in a couple of days.
Shipping for every price point
Price will always have a part to play in how customers choose delivery options – and which businesses are attractive to buy from as a result. Faster shipping is more expensive for the customer but the key is to find the balance where you’re able to offer swift delivery but at a price that is still affordable.
Demographics make a difference…
If your business is targeting Millennials, for example, you will need to be much more focused on fast delivery than if your target market is the over 60s. Only 16% of Millennials would wait a week for delivery, for example, so if you don’t offer swifter options you’re losing trade. That’s compared to 38% of over 65s who would be happy to wait seven days.
…as does location
As you might expect, shoppers in London are the least likely to be inclined to wait for their deliveries – 10% of people in London expect same day delivery. Expectations from city dwellers are often higher but not all have the same demands – for example, consumers in Liverpool have a minimum expectation of delivery within 3.3 days but in Nottingham it’s nearly five days.
Finding the right logistics partner is the key
UCS has over 20 years of experience in the courier and logistics solutions industries. We know how to provide cost effective delivery options that enable a business to evolve to meet increasingly high customer expectations and demand, wherever you are. For more information get in touch with UCS today.