Consumers expect free delivery amid online shopping boom
Consumers expect free delivery when buying items online, new research has shown, amid a surge in internet shopping due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A survey of 2,000 UK adults found that delivery services have risen up shoppers’ agenda since the outbreak of the pandemic, with Amazon Prime the standard to which other retailers are held.
More than half of shoppers expect free delivery as standard, while 46 per cent of consumers would not purchase from stores that charge for delivery after consumers have spent a certain amount with the store.
Meanwhile, click and collect services are the second most important deciding factor for shoppers.
The research by marketing firm SMP also found that 29 per cent of consumers shop more at Amazon now than before the pandemic, an increase of 10 per cent since April.
Consumers shifted to online shopping during the pandemic due to the government order to stay at home and the closure of non-essential retailers for two months from March.
Experts have said they expect the change in shopping behaviour to become permanent, with online retail sales up 46.8 per cent in September compared to February.
The high street has suffered as a result with low footfall damaging retail sales, particularly in London and other city centres, resulting in mass job cuts within the sector.
SMP managing director Peter Martin said: “While Amazon has emerged as the main beneficiary of changing consumer habits, the shifting retail landscape presents a major opportunity for all e-commerce brands to broaden their audience.
“However, this is not without challenges. Shoppers are coming to expect the same options as they get from Amazon – notably free delivery – from across the retail sector as a whole.”