Changing consumer expectations of delivery

Customer loyalty does not come once and for all, so online shops need to constantly improve their offering to better meet consumer needs. Delivery of goods is an important area of their activities. Customers’ expectations in this respect are well described in the Gemius report “E-commerce in Poland“. Let us take a look at the opinions expressed by respondents in 2023 and 3 years earlier.

Multiple delivery options continue to drive purchases

Over the past three years, online shoppers have greatly appreciated the variety of delivery and collection options available in online outlets. In both 2020 and 2023, 53% of respondents considered them an incentive to buy online. Do consumers still prefer the same delivery methods?

The dominance of parcel lockers

In 2020, parcel machine delivery was already the most popular method of collecting online purchases. It was used by 61% of consumers, with direct delivery chosen by 55%. The third most popular method was delivery by a postman (33%), followed by delivery to a partner outlet (19%) and to a post office (10%).

A survey conducted three years later (2023) highlights some clear trends. Parcel machines are now used by up to 82% of shoppers. Direct delivery by courier is chosen by 42% of respondents, which indicates a decline. Partner outlets are used by 18% of shoppers, while 17% still prefer the postman. Only 6% of online shoppers now visit post offices to collect their purchases.

What are the conclusions? Environmentally friendly parcel machines that offer flexible collection times are gaining market share. Still, online retailers should not neglect other forms of delivery, especially direct delivery and partner outlets, as this could mean missing out on potential customers!