Three-hour delivery time slot becomes standard for UK online shoppers, survey says

Online shoppers in the UK increasingly expect retailers to provide more convenient deliveryoptions to fit in their busy schedules favouring a three-hour time slot for home deliveries,

The research results revealed that the three-hour delivery time window has become a standardexpectation for the majority of UK online consumers when ordering products via internet. While mostof the respondents expect delivery within one week of ordering, more than half (53%) of them wanttheir orders to be delivered within a precise time slot of three hours or less. 40% of theconsumers surveyed are even willing to pay extra money for the ‘perfect delivery’ to decide whereand when their parcel should be delivered.

Mike Leyland, CIO, Hermes Europe and UK, commented on the consumer delivery expectations: “Thestate of e-commerce in the UK is on a hugely positive trajectory, but there is a clear indicationthat the modern day consumer is increasingly expecting greater flexibility in product delivery.Firms need to be able to keep up with the 24/7 convenience of the online model or risk losingbusiness to those that do. This is why innovative technology is going to play an even bigger rolein the future of e-commerce.”

The majority of customers (57%) declared that the current delivery options offered by retailersare not satisfactory while 51% often experienced the situation that their parcel arrived duringtheir absence or the appointment time was not kept.

When it comes to picking up their products ordered, online shoppers only accept short distances.Four in ten (39%) would be prepared to go only to their nearest parcel shop while only one in tenpeople surveyed would be willing to go five miles to pick up their parcels.

While all consumers expect online shopping to grow further in the near future and a vastmajority (94%) of the respondents have ordered something online within the past three months, theirviews differ on which delivery options will be available to them in the years to come.

Eight in ten (79%) believe they will still receive items they buy online via a courier whilefour in ten (39%) expect to pick up items at an agreed third party location (parcel point, localshop, other). Nearly a quarter (23%) expect to pick up items at a post office or sorting officewhile 12% can imagine drones or robots delivering their ordered items in the future.

Jeff Taylor, Director of Honeywell’s Transport and Logistics business in Europe, Middle East,Africa and India, said: “It is crucial for online retailers to keep up with the fast-paced lives oftheir customers, which is why mobile technology plays a vital role for e-commerce. From thewarehouse to delivery to post-sale satisfaction, both retailers and couriers have to work closelytogether to ensure a swift delivery and a positive shopping experience.”

The conclusion of the survey is that companies that are not flexible enough to adapt toconsumers’ demands will be left behind by those who are. Businesses should make it a priority toprovide online shoppers with convenient delivery options as the overwhelming majority (91%) ofconsumers look at delivery options prior to checkout.

Ipos surveyed a representative sample of 800 adults in the UK for the poll.