automation

7 out of 10 shoppers want AI in their shopping journey

2025-08-20 przez Krystian Palica

71% of consumers want generative AI in shopping

According to Capgemini’s 2025 report, 71% of consumers want generative AI integrated into their shopping experiences, both in digital and physical stores. The survey, covering over 10,000 participants across 13 countries, confirms that AI is no longer seen as futuristic but as an expected part of customer experience.

66% of Gen Z and 65% of Millennials expect hyper-personalised recommendations driven by generative AI — tailored not only to past purchases, but also to mood, location, and seasonal trends.
In Poland, Focus on Business reports that 7 in 10 consumers already use AI tools in everyday life — often unknowingly, through smart filters in shopping apps or marketplace recommendation engines.

Business takeaway: AI integration is no longer a competitive edge; it’s the market baseline. Retailers that don’t implement intelligent search, recommendations, and customer support risk losing their most valuable segments, especially younger generations.

70% of shoppers expect smart, personalised features

The DHL “E-commerce Trends 2025” report reveals that 70% of consumers expect online stores to offer AI-driven shopping features such as visual search, contextual recommendations, personalised offers, or voice commerce.

This expectation spans all age groups: even the 45+ demographic increasingly uses AI when tools are simple and deliver clear value, like finding product equivalents via image search or instantly comparing offers across retailers.
KPMG data shows 61% of consumers see personalised shopping experiences as a key purchase driver.

Business takeaway: AI-powered features are no longer a “premium add-on” but a core requirement for modern e-commerce. Deploying visual search, voice commerce, and dynamic recommendations must be a strategic priority to remain competitive and increase customer loyalty.

AI boosts engagement, but conversion needs work

Adobe’s 2025 e-commerce trends report shows that AI shopping tools directly impact user behaviour. Retailers that adopted generative AI recorded:

+8% longer average session duration
+12% more pages viewed
–23% lower bounce rate

AI clearly drives engagement and exploration. However, conversion rates remain below e-commerce averages. Many shoppers treat AI as a source of inspiration and make purchases later, sometimes in different channels.

46% of surveyed consumers trust AI more than friends when choosing fashion items.

Business takeaway: AI drives engagement but must be paired with conversion strategies. Seamless omnichannel journeys, limited-time offers, and strong CTAs are essential to monetise AI-driven interactions.

Consumers are already using AI and want more

A US study found that 39% of consumers have already used generative AI tools in shopping, from chatbots and recommendation engines to visual search. Another 53% plan to use them this year.

In Poland, 70% of consumers already interact with AI in daily life, through marketplace algorithms, dynamic pricing engines, or smart product filtering.

Business takeaway: customers are not waiting for AI to “arrive” in e-commerce, they’re already using it. Not offering AI tools means losing share to competitors that deliver smarter, more interactive shopping experiences.

AI as a trusted shopping advisor

Consumer trust in AI has grown significantly. In categories like fashion, beauty, and electronics, AI is increasingly the “first consultant”, filtering, suggesting, and guiding purchases.

Business takeaway: growing trust in AI allows brands to strengthen loyalty through transparency. Explaining why a product is recommended (“because it matches your style and recent searches”) builds credibility. Transparent AI will become a cornerstone of brand–customer relationships.

Start with AI where it matters most: delivery

You don’t need costly or complex integrations to bring AI into your store. Start with the foundation of a great shopping experience: fast, reliable, predictable delivery. AI-driven shipment automation shortens fulfillment times, increases customer satisfaction, and drives loyalty.

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Manual vs. automated parcel shipping: compare costs and processing time

2025-06-16 przez Alsendo

Why the method of shipping parcels matters for small e-commerce

A growing number of orders is every entrepreneur’s dream, but it comes with enormous pressure on operational efficiency. Customers are accustomed to standards set by market giants and expect:

lightning-fast same-day shipping
precise tracking
hassle-free returns

The way you process orders—from clicking “Buy now” to printing the label—has a direct impact on your margin. Every minute spent manually retyping address data is time you’re not dedicating to marketing, product development, or customer service.

Moreover, with manual processes, business scalability is strictly limited by human productivity, which during peak periods (like Black Friday) can become a bottleneck that constrains revenue.

How does manual parcel shipping work?

Manual shipment processing is the reality for many beginning online stores, resembling tedious office work from decades ago. This process begins when an order comes in. The seller must open their store’s admin panel or marketplace platform (e.g., Allegro), and in another browser tab, log into the carrier’s system. Next comes the most critical stage: copying data. First name, last name, street, house number, postal code, phone number, and email address must all be transferred using the “copy-paste” method into the shipping form.

After pasting the data, manual definition of package parameters is necessary. This is where inefficiency often occurs—selecting a box “by eye” and manually entering dimensions. If the store uses multiple carriers, this process must be repeated across different systems. Finally, the label is generated as a PDF file, downloaded to disk, and printed. The main limitations of this model are lack of data flow and low packing precision.

How does automated parcel shipping work?

Logistics automation completely changes the work philosophy, shifting the operational burden from humans to software. The foundation of this model is advanced integrations (APIs) between the store platform and the shipping system. In this scenario, order data “flows” automatically. When a customer completes their purchase, all necessary information is immediately transmitted to the shipping management panel. The user logs into one panel, sees the order list, and generates labels in bulk.

Automation, ecology, and “shipping air”

Research reveals shocking data: Polish consumers receive over 40 million m³ of air along with their ordered products due to oversized packaging. That’s equivalent to paying to ship the air contained in 13,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Manual box selection “by feel” generates enormous waste. Packing shipments in poorly fitted boxes accounts for over 42,000 tons of unnecessary CO2 annually. Automation allows precise matching of carrier and size to actual product dimensions, reducing this problem and lowering your store’s carbon footprint.

Cost comparison – manual vs. automated

At first glance, the manual model seems cheaper because it doesn’t generate a monthly software invoice. However, this is a classic example of false economy. The biggest financial burden in the manual model is labor cost per hour. If an employee spends 3 minutes handling one package, with a volume of 500 shipments per month, that amounts to 25 hours of pure administrative work. That’s over three working days for which you must pay salary, social security, and taxes.

Add to this the aforementioned cost of “shipping air” in oversized packages, for which carriers charge higher dimensional rates. Automation costs are typically predictable and scalable, and systems often offer negotiated, cheaper courier rates that are unattainable for individual shippers. Small e-commerce businesses actually save money with automation when the system cost is lower than the value of time wasted on manual handling and overpayments for poorly dimensioned shipments.

Time comparison – manual vs. automated

Time in e-commerce is a currency that cannot be recovered. For a single manual shipment, the process takes an average of 3 to 5 minutes. In an automated system, generating a label for a single order takes 15-30 seconds. However, the real gap appears when scaling. Manual processing is linear in nature—handling 100 packages takes 100 times longer than handling one.

During a sudden sales spike, a manually operated store can become paralyzed. Automation works almost instantaneously. Generating labels for 100 orders takes the system the same amount of time as for one—you simply select more items from the list. This allows the store to ship hundreds of packages the same day, eliminating the bottleneck of limited typing speed.

How does process automation impact error reduction?

Human error is statistically the most common cause of problems in logistics processes. When manually retyping hundreds of strings of numbers, the human brain naturally loses concentration. If we assume that the average error rate for manual data entry is approximately 1% to 3%, for a store shipping 300 packages monthly, that means 3 to 9 problematic shipments each month.

This may seem like a small number, but the financial consequences are disproportionately large. Each such error requires covering the cost of package return, re-shipping, and often results in customer loss and negative online reviews. Automated systems eliminate the risk of typos by capturing data exactly as the customer entered it and validating postal code accuracy before printing the label.

When should you definitely choose automation?

The transition to automation typically happens naturally when an entrepreneur starts feeling that logistics, instead of supporting sales, begins to hinder them. Here are key signals suggesting your e-commerce should implement automation:

Exceeding the threshold of 30-50 packages monthly: Manual handling begins taking up too much valuable time.
Multi-channel sales: Managing Allegro, Amazon, and your own store from one place (e.g., through Alsendo Business) means no more logging into multiple panels.
High seasonality: Readiness to handle a 10-fold increase in orders during Black Friday without hiring additional staff.
Desire to be ECO-friendly: Avoiding “shipping air” through better package fitting, which is impossible to achieve “by eye” at large scale.

Example scenarios for small e-commerce

To better illustrate the difference, let’s examine three specific business situations.

Scenario 1: Hobby store shipping 50 packages monthly

In the manual model, the owner spends about 3 hours monthly just entering data. After implementing automation, this process shortens to 20 minutes. The gained hours can be dedicated to marketing, which will actually increase sales.

Scenario 2: Growing boutique with 300 monthly orders

At this scale, manual handling amounts to 15-25 hours monthly—nearly 1/4 of a full-time position. The owner faces a choice: hire an administrative employee (costing several thousand dollars) or implement a system for a fraction of that amount. Automation replaces the need to create a position solely for “printing labels.”

Scenario 3: Store with irregular product “drops”

On release day, you receive 100 orders per hour. Manual shipping means chaos and working until midnight. Automation allows handling these 100 orders in a few minutes, providing “on-demand” scalability without the fixed costs of maintaining a large staff.

Automation: a requirement, not a luxury

In 2025, logistics technology is accessible enough that persisting with “manual shipping” for cost-saving purposes has become a myth. For most e-commerce businesses, automation is not a luxury but a fundamental tool for competitiveness and—importantly—environmental responsibility.

Avoiding address errors (which are a statistical certainty with manual work) and reducing empty space in packages represent real savings. The recommendation is simple: implement automation before your first sales peak turns your office into a warehouse full of problematic shipments. Let technology handle logistics while you focus on business development.

Sources

https://www.dssmith.com/pl/media/aktualnosci/2022/8/air-commerce

Convenient returns as a competitive advantage in e-commerce. How to automate them?

2025-06-12 przez Alsendo

Why have convenient returns become a key element of e-commerce strategy?

The scale of the challenge currently facing large enterprises is unprecedented. The average return rate in e-commerce is typically much higher than in traditional retail—many reports indicate that approximately 30% of online orders are returned, while for in-store purchases this rate is only around 9%. This disparity stems from changing customer behaviors, for whom returns have become a natural element of the shopping process rather than an anomaly.

Particular dynamics are visible in younger demographic groups. The number of consumers declaring that they return products at least once a month is significantly higher among Generation Z and millennials than among older customer groups. These customers treat the ability to easily return items as standard and a kind of purchase “insurance,” forcing companies to redefine their approach to after-sales service. A convenient returns process builds trust, which directly translates into CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) metrics and determines whether a customer will even decide to complete their cart.

What are the costs and challenges associated with the returns process in large companies?

At Enterprise scale, returns handling costs extend far beyond the return shipping fee. The main burden is the operational involvement of multiple departments: from customer service accepting requests, through logistics, to the warehouse conducting quality assessment and re-accepting goods. In a manual model, this generates enormous labor hour costs that grow exponentially during sales peaks. Each “touch” of a package by an employee represents a cost that, multiplied by thousands of returns, drastically reduces margins.

A critical aspect is also the impact of returns on cash flow and inventory management. Goods in return transit represent so-called “frozen cash”—locked capital. The longer the logistics process takes, the longer the product remains excluded from sales, losing value (especially in the fashion and electronics sectors). At large operational scales, lack of consistent procedures leads to inventory chaos and discrepancies in stock levels, making sales planning and restocking difficult. ERP systems often don’t “see” goods that are physically already on the dock but waiting for manual processing.

How do convenient returns impact competitive advantage?

The quality of the returns process has a direct impact on a company’s future revenues. Market data leaves no illusions: as many as 84% of respondents in a study conducted by a company from Wilkes-Barre indicated that a “positive return experience” increases their likelihood of repeat purchases from the same store. Simplified return policies thus act as a powerful retention tool, lowering the barrier to entry for subsequent transactions. Customers who know the return process is painless are more willing to experiment with new products and brands.

On the other hand, the consequences of neglecting this area are severe and immediate. Approximately 71% of consumers claim they are less likely to make repeat purchases from a seller after a poor return experience. Moreover, this effect is amplified by the social recommendation mechanism—four out of five dissatisfied customers declare they will share their negative experience with family and friends. Convenient returns are therefore not just a convenience but a key element of protecting brand image and preventing customer loss to competitors.

Elements of an ideal returns process in e-commerce from an Enterprise perspective

For the returns process in a large organization to work smoothly, it must be based on full digitalization and paper elimination. The ideal ecosystem begins with a clear request path in the customer panel, where users can independently generate a QR code or label without contacting customer service (self-service). Deep integration of ERP, WMS, OMS systems, and marketplace platforms is crucial here. Return approval in the system should automatically trigger a cascade of processes: from ordering transport, through delivery notification at the warehouse, to preparing corrective documents.

Real-time communication informing the customer about each stage of their package’s journey and refund status is also essential. Process transparency drastically reduces the number of customer service inquiries like “Where is my money?”

Most common mistakes in returns handling and their business consequences

The biggest mistake large companies make is persisting with manual processes that, at the current scale of returns, become inefficient and risky. Manual verification of requests, retyping data from emails, or lack of a unified system for multiple markets lead to delays and human errors. Companies also often fail to optimize logistics costs, using rigid courier contracts instead of dynamic carrier selection. This results in overpaying for local returns or problems with cross-border returns handling.

Furthermore, lack of analytics on return reasons prevents drawing business conclusions, causing the company to continue selling products with defects or poor descriptions, falling into a vicious cycle of costs.

Returns automation: what processes can be improved in large companies?

Automation in the Enterprise model primarily includes intelligent logistics routing—automatic selection of the cheapest or fastest carrier depending on package parameters and location. Systems should also automatically generate all documents (labels, customs documents for non-EU markets) and manage customer communication through a sequence of status notifications.

A significant improvement is also back-office process automation: inventory updates should occur immediately after scanning received goods, and financial systems should automatically order refunds, relieving the accounting department and building customer trust in the brand.

Technologies and tools for returns automation in the Enterprise model

Modern returns ecosystems are built on RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) systems integrated with Multi-Carrier logistics platforms and ERP/WMS systems. Machine Learning technology is increasingly used to predict return volumes and detect abuse (e.g., wardrobing). However, the key is data centralization, which allows process management across multiple countries and sales channels from a single tool. Through APIs, logistics platforms become the “brain of operations,” connecting sales, logistics, and finance into one cohesive organism.

The role of the Alsendo platform and Innoship Returns Module in process optimization

Returns have become one of the most underestimated sources of advantage in commerce. It’s precisely in them—at the intersection of logistics, data, and customer experience—that you can see how an organization truly operates. The Innoship Returns Module from Alsendo helps large companies transform daily operational challenges into a cohesive system that simplifies processes, delivers crucial data, and strengthens customer loyalty.

Innoship Returns Module functionalities that build Enterprise advantage:

Automation and smart routing: the system automatically handles every stage—from request to settlement. An intelligent algorithm selects the optimal carrier depending on country, weight, or product type, reducing costs and eliminating manual errors.
Consistent branding (branded portal): customers make returns in a portal that looks and communicates just like your store. This allows the process to take place in a trusted environment, increasing the chance of repeat purchase.
Data-driven decisions: the module generates advanced reports on return reasons, processing time, and carrier effectiveness. This allows quick pattern detection (e.g., incorrect size chart) and proactive offer optimization.
Global control: the system enables handling of multiple and partial returns within one order and process management from different markets in one panel. This is the full flexibility necessary for internationally operating companies.

The Innoship Returns Module is a strategic tool that allows you to use automation to build a culture of transparency and faster decision-making throughout the organization.

So how to handle returns?

Treating returns as a necessary evil is a strategy of the past. In the face of growing consumer requirements and cost pressure, optimizing this process is key to profitability. To effectively implement changes in a large organization, it’s worth taking the following steps:

Centralize processes: abandon scattered tools and spreadsheets in favor of one platform integrating all carriers and markets.
Automate decisions: use algorithms to select the best logistics options and automate customer communication.
Choose a proven partner: opt for Enterprise-class solutions like Alsendo Innoship, which guarantee stability, data security, and real cost optimization, transforming a logistics challenge into a competitive advantage.

Sources

Cross up-selling: how to increase order value and reduce shipping costs?

2025-06-10 przez Alsendo

What is cross up-selling and how does it support e-commerce sales?

Cross and up-selling are not just sales techniques, but primarily methods of cart value engineering, aimed at delivering a complete solution to the customer while simultaneously maximizing store profit. While cross-selling answers the question “What complements this purchase?” by offering complementary products, up-selling is based on the mechanism of raising standards. It involves proposing higher-class products, newer models, or larger packages, encouraging the customer to increase their spending in exchange for higher utility value.

According to McKinsey analyses, recommendation techniques generate up to 35% of revenues for giants like Amazon. By combining these strategies, you not only increase revenue but build an image of an expert who understands and anticipates consumer needs.

Why cross and up-selling is not just a sales technique, but also a way to optimize logistics?

At first glance, cross up-selling seems to be the domain of marketing, however its greatest strength lies in its direct impact on the profitability of logistics operations. You need to understand what costs make up the fulfillment of one order. These are primarily fixed costs, such as warehouse worker time, cost of cardboard, filler, tape, and labels. These expenses are almost identical regardless of whether the package contains one small product or three.

As a result, each additional product in the same order is pure profit from a logistics perspective, because fixed costs are spread over a larger revenue amount, and the entire delivery automation becomes more cost-effective.

How does increasing cart value reduce unit shipping cost?

To fully understand this relationship, let’s analyze a specific numerical example. In a scenario without cross-selling, with an order of $80 and shipping cost of $15 (which is a typical rate for domestic shipments), the delivery cost represents as much as 18.75% of the order value. However, if thanks to an effective offer the customer adds a product for $60, the new order value will be $140. The same shipping cost ($15) will now represent only 10.71% of the order value.

The conclusions are clear: the store can more than double its profit on the transaction while reducing the logistics burden by almost half.

Practical 5-step implementation plan for cross and up-selling in your store

Here’s a simple plan for how to start implementing cross up-selling today:

Identify the leaders

Before you prepare an offer for customers, you need to select strategic base products that will serve as the starting point for your propositions. Not every product is a good “anchor” for building larger carts. Your analysis should go beyond simply looking at revenue and focus on the number of units sold.

A product that sells frequently, even if relatively inexpensive, provides far more opportunities to apply cross-selling than an expensive item purchased sporadically. The safest choice is obviously bestsellers – products that customers love anyway. Equally important are so-called “gateway products,” meaning those that most often attract new customers. The last group consists of items that by the nature of their functionality virtually ask to be supplemented, like a printer and ink cartridges or a smartphone and a case.

The outcome of this stage should be a short, well-thought-out list of 3-5 strategic products that will become the foundation for further actions.

Analyze data

Once you have your “anchor products,” you need to find ideal partners for them. The best propositions are those that seem like natural, helpful suggestions to the customer. The most effective and reliable method is a data-driven approach.

Most e-commerce platforms have “Frequently bought together” type reports, which are a goldmine of knowledge about actual customer behavior. But what to do when the store is new or there’s too little data? In such a situation, you should rely on product logic and empathy. Consider what complementary products could increase the purchase value for the customer – meaning what the buyer might need to fully utilize the purchased product.

Create an offer

Simply showing an additional product may not be enough. You need to package it in an offer that will be hard to resist, so the customer feels they’re gaining, not just spending more. The most powerful tactic is creating bundles. Instead of simply suggesting a product, combine it with the base product and offer a small discount, necessarily communicating the amount of savings.

Another effective technique is an offer tied to the free shipping threshold, where you propose a list of specially selected, attractive products priced at what’s missing to reach that threshold. You also can’t forget about cross-selling services, such as gift wrapping or extended warranty, which increase order value without increasing logistics costs.

Configure and launch

With the offer ready, it’s time for its technical implementation in the store. Here the key principle is “start simple.” Initially, it’s best to choose one key location. The product page is an ideal place for a “Frequently bought together” section right below the “Add to cart” button. Equally effective can be the shopping cart, where the customer analyzes their order and is open to suggestions. You can also consider a subtle pop-up appearing after adding a product to the cart.

However, there’s one more advanced moment with enormous potential – the latest e-commerce strategies use the thank you page after purchase. Instead of the standard “Thank you,” you can place an additional offer there, for example, proposing the customer add a matching accessory or complementary product with one click, without the need to refill the order form. This is a proposition to add to the just-paid order another product with a single click.

Measure and observe

Now begins the most important, cyclical stage: measuring, analysis, and continuous improvement. You should track not only the global increase in average order value (AOV), but also the so-called attach rate – meaning what percentage of orders with the base product also included the product from the offer. If this indicator is low, it’s a signal that the proposition is mismatched.

You also need to monitor whether the cross-sell offer doesn’t lower the conversion of the base product itself. This data is the starting point for the most important process: iteration and testing. It’s worth testing and measuring results – change the proposed product, rewrite the call to action, offer a different discount. This cyclical process of analysis and optimization, based on A/B testing, is the real key to long-term success and full utilization of the cross up-selling strategy’s potential.

Avoid traps: what not to do when implementing cross up-selling?

This strategy, though powerful, carries risks if implemented unskillfully. Here are the most common pitfalls:

Trap 1: pushiness and irritating the customer

Bombarding the customer with dozens of propositions will produce the opposite effect to what was intended.

Trap 2: decision paralysisToo many options to choose from can overwhelm the customer and cause them to abandon the cart.

Trap 3: irrelevant propositionsProposing wool gloves for a swimsuit undermines the store’s credibility. Recommendations must be logical.

Free shipping as a motivator to increase cart value

The phrase “free shipping” is one of the most powerful tools in the e-commerce arsenal. Research clearly shows that unexpected additional costs are the main reason for customer frustration – as many as 48% of them abandon the cart precisely because of high delivery fees.

On the other hand, free shipping is a powerful motivator, and its perception is influenced by the psychology of expectation. In one report, as many as 57% of respondents indicated that lower delivery costs would encourage them to shop online more frequently. The key is strategically setting the free shipping threshold and offering customers a choice among different types of delivery.

Transform logistics into competitive advantage

Effective implementation of cross and up-selling strategy is a process that combines sales psychology with operational optimization. As we demonstrated in the article, increasing cart value (AOV) is the simplest path to reducing the percentage share of logistics costs in your margin. However, for these actions to produce measurable effects, it’s necessary to move beyond schematic thinking about shipping as exclusively “delivering a package.”

In modern e-commerce, logistics becomes an integral part of marketing and retention. This is exactly where strategy meets the technology offered by Alsendo Business Pro. This is a solution that allows you to implement the tactics described in the article in practice:

Last mile marketing: thanks to features such as branded tracking page and personalized notifications with ad space, Alsendo Business Pro turns every shipment status into an opportunity for post-purchase cross-selling. This is free advertising space with the highest open rate, ideal for promoting accessories or dedicated offers.
Data-driven decisions: we mentioned that the key to building accurate bundles is analysis. The analytics panel available in Alsendo provides you with hard data on carrier efficiency and shipment structure. Thanks to this, you can precisely match delivery methods to the free shipping threshold, protecting your margin.
Building loyalty: professional return handling and PUDO point map are elements that remove purchase barriers in the cart, directly affecting the conversion of larger orders.

Don’t let logistics be just a cost center in your company. Use the potential of Alsendo Business Pro so that every shipped package works for your profit while building a professional brand image in the customer’s eyes.

Sources

How local payments and predictable delivery increase sales abroad

2025-06-03 przez Alsendo

Cross-border e-commerce – enormous potential and even greater challenges

Cross-border sales have ceased to be the domain of giants. Global revenues from this e-commerce segment are predicted to exceed $1.2 trillion in 2025. Currently, as many as 36% of all online purchases in Europe are international shipments.

Consumers actively search for offers beyond their local market, and for Polish entrepreneurs this is becoming a key pillar of strategy, already accounting for 18-20% of total turnover.

However, behind these numbers lies a complex reality. Entrepreneurs must face not only language barriers, but also complicated customs issues, differences in tax regulations and, most importantly, customer expectations who demand the same, or even higher, level of service they experience daily in their own countries.

Why do foreign customers abandon their cart? Anatomy of distrust

The high abandoned cart rate, reaching approximately 70% globally, is in cross-border sales not so much a statistic as a story of lost trust. Analysis of this phenomenon shows that the reasons rarely lie in product quality. It’s the purchasing process that builds a wall the customer doesn’t want to or can’t overcome. The main culprit turns out to be unexpected and high delivery costs; it’s for this reason that as many as 47% of online shoppers abandon their purchase. This is a psychological “price shock” that makes the customer feel deceived, and an attractive offer suddenly loses its appeal.

Even if the customer accepts the cost, the next barrier becomes a long and unpredictable order fulfillment time. A promise like “delivery in 7-21 days” is in today’s times a signal of lack of professionalism. The customer doesn’t want to live in uncertainty.

The whole is completed by lack of transparency – inability to track the shipment in real time and complicated or expensive return policy. These elements create a barrier of distrust that ultimately leads to cart abandonment in favor of a more reliable, local supplier.

Payment localization as key to trust and conversion

Trust in e-commerce is built by eliminating uncertainty, and nothing does this better than offering customers payment methods that are natural and safe for them. As research shows, 56 percent of customers abandon an online purchase due to the lack of their preferred payment method.

Localization in this area is much more than converting price to local currency. It’s about understanding cultural payment habits. For example, in Germany, invoice with deferred payment term (so-called “Kauf auf Rechnung”) enjoys huge popularity, which stems from the culture of “try before you buy.” Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, iDEAL, a direct bank transfer system, is an absolute standard.

Cash on Delivery plays a particularly important role in many Central and Southern European countries. In regions with lower trust in online payments, this is for many customers the only acceptable form of payment.

How can small businesses offer local payment methods?

Integrating all these options individually is difficult, time-consuming and costly for a small business. That’s why partnership with technology platforms becomes crucial. Solutions like Alsendo International allow integration of the store with a network of local carriers who can easily handle cash on delivery payment in local currency.

Thanks to cooperation with local suppliers, packages arrive faster, and using local infrastructure reduces costs. The system enables real-time shipment tracking and sending notifications in the local language, which increases customer trust. Deliveries can reach both directly to the door and to pickup points or parcel lockers, which gives customers convenience and minimizes failed delivery attempts.

Predictable delivery as a decisive purchase factor

Even the most convenient payments won’t save a sale if logistics fail. Consumers clearly communicate their expectations: as many as 88% of them say that free delivery is the strongest factor motivating them to shop. Speed is also important – the psychology of waiting for a shipment shows that delivery within 12 hours motivates 83% of respondents to shop more frequently.

Predictability, however, means something more than just speed. It’s providing the customer with a sense of control and constant communication. This includes dynamic delivery date estimation already at the cart stage, offering a choice of different options such as courier, pickup point or parcel lockers, as well as proactive sending of email or SMS notifications at key stages of the package’s journey.

Synergy and marketing: how to communicate trust from the first click?

Customer experience doesn’t begin in the cart. An effective cross-border strategy consists of showcasing your logistics and payment advantages as key sales arguments from the very beginning. Instead of waiting until the last moment, logos of key payment and courier partners should be visible already on the homepage and in the footer.

On product pages, it’s worth placing information like “Fast delivery to Germany in 48h via DHL.” What’s more, marketing campaigns should be tailored to specific markets. A Facebook ad targeting the Dutch should mention iDEAL payment. Good practice is also creating dedicated subpages for key markets (e.g., yourstore.com/de), where all delivery, payment and return options are explained in a simple way.

How to start in practice? Rely on technology connecting business with logistics

Instead of building complicated processes from scratch, the simplest way to start is to use a ready technology platform. Alsendo acts here as a digital connector that integrates entrepreneurs with the best courier platforms throughout Europe.

What do you gain by choosing Alsendo technology as the foundation of your cross-border logistics?

One hub, many possibilities: instead of negotiating contracts with dozens of carriers, you get access to the comprehensive Alsendo International service. The platform aggregates offers from local suppliers (so-called “local heroes”), which allows for faster and cheaper deliveries while maintaining flexibility.
Process automation: Alsendo technology takes the operational burden off you. From choosing the most cost-effective offer (thanks to full cost transparency before shipping), through generating labels, to automatic shipment insurance – everything happens in one panel.
Technology supporting Customer Experience: the platform offers tools building trust of foreign customers. You gain access to notifications in two languages (which eliminates communication barriers) and a unified real-time shipment tracking system, which significantly relieves your customer service department.
Delivery flexibility (PUDO and Door-to-Door): thanks to technology integration, you can offer customers what they expect – both convenient deliveries to pickup points and parcel lockers (reducing CO2 emissions), as well as classic door-to-door deliveries.

The entire process comes down to a few simple steps within the platform: you specify package parameters, choose the destination country and courier company, and the system takes care of the rest – from processing the order to delivering it to the local recipient in the EU. Thanks to this, you can focus on sales, and technology will handle logistics.

Returns logistics – how to take care of it to gain, not lose?

Returns in international commerce are a significant operational and cost challenge if not properly planned. Requiring a customer from Spain to independently ship a package to Poland is an inefficient model that hinders further purchases because it’s expensive and troublesome.

A much better solution is implementing a system based on a local return address. Thanks to cooperation with a logistics partner, the customer returns the package to a cheap, domestic address. Then these packages are collected in a local warehouse and sent back to Poland in bulk, which allows reducing return costs in cross-border commerce. A well-organized process makes returns in e-commerce an asset, not a problem.

A proactive action will be creating an extensive, translated FAQ section that will answer 80% of typical questions. Transparency should also be ensured, clearly informing about customer service office hours.

How to measure the effectiveness of payments and deliveries in cross-border e-commerce?

Implementing new solutions is only the beginning. To assess strategy effectiveness, key indicators should be constantly monitored, preferably broken down by individual countries. Analytics in e-commerce allows tracking primarily the conversion rate, analyzing its changes after implementing new solutions.

It’s also important to examine the cart abandonment funnel to identify at which step the most customers drop off. Observing average order value (AOV) will show the effectiveness of free delivery thresholds, and comparing customer acquisition cost (CAC) with lifetime value (LTV) will give a complete picture of expansion profitability.

How to combine logistics and payments to increase sales abroad?

Success in cross-border commerce is not a matter of chance. It’s the result of a thoughtful strategy that puts the customer and their local habits at the center. For small and medium-sized online stores, the key is understanding that they don’t have to build global infrastructure from scratch. Instead, they should rely on intelligent partnerships and technology that will help them manage the complexity of logistics, returns and legal issues.

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How to reduce “Where is my order?” enquiries and enhance customer experience?

2025-05-09 przez Krystian Palica

The power of real-time tracking: why is it a game changer?

Real-time shipment tracking transforms the post-purchase experience by delivering full visibility into the order lifecycle. Customers gain instant access to accurate, real-time information on their shipments, from dispatch to final delivery. This heightened transparency alleviates common frustrations related to uncertainty and waiting.

When customers no longer need to ask “Where is my order?”, businesses experience a tangible reduction in inbound enquiries. The freed-up capacity enables customer service teams to address higher-value tasks, such as handling exceptions and resolving complex issues.

Additionally, proactive updates foster trust, positioning your brand as reliable and customer-centric.

Key benefits of real-time tracking:

Reduces WISMO enquiries by providing instant, automated updates at every delivery stage.
Enhances customer satisfaction by offering visibility and control.
Optimises support operations by reducing repetitive enquiries and enabling focus on escalated cases.
Strengthens brand loyalty through consistent, proactive communication.

Real-time tracking in action: boost profits and win customers loyalty

When real-time tracking becomes part of your customer experience strategy, the effects go far beyond reducing enquiries. It delivers measurable business outcomes, shaping both cost structures and customer perceptions.

Tangible benefits for your organisation:

Lower operational costs: automating delivery updates can lead to significant savings. Companies utilising automated customer communications reduce service-related costs by up to 30%. This allows businesses to reinvest in more strategic initiatives.
Boost in customer loyalty and trust: transparent, proactive communication builds stronger relationships. Brands offering real-time shipment updates enjoy an average 16% higher Net Promoter Score (NPS) compared to competitors.
Minimised disputes and friction: by clearly communicating delivery statuses and milestones, companies see a marked reduction in customer complaints and unjustified claims. This not only decreases resolution costs but also shortens return and refund cycles, resulting in happier, more loyal customers.

Hypothetical case study: how a mid-sized retailer achieved breakthrough results

The following case study is fictional and designed to illustrate best practices and potential outcomes.

A mid-sized European electronics retailer decided to overhaul its post-purchase communication process by implementing a comprehensive real-time shipment tracking system. The project was executed in three critical phases:

Full Carrier Network Integration: the retailer integrated its order management system with 10 national and international carriers, providing end-to-end shipment visibility from warehouse dispatch to customer delivery.
Multi-Channel Automated Notifications: customers were given the flexibility to choose between SMS, email, and in-app notifications. Automated messages were sent at key delivery milestones: order confirmation, dispatch, in-transit, out-for-delivery, and delivery confirmation.
Exception & Delay Management Module: the company implemented real-time alerts for failed delivery attempts, transit delays, and incomplete addresses. Customers were empowered to take corrective action (e.g., reschedule delivery) through self-service portals.

Results (6 months after implementation):

38% reduction in WISMO-related enquiries to customer service.
Operational savings of 20% due to reduced contact volumes.
Over 65% customer opt-in rate for proactive delivery notifications.
CSAT improvement by 15%, with customers highlighting communication transparency as a key driver.

This hypothetical scenario demonstrates how thoughtful implementation of real-time tracking combined with automated, personalized customer communication can deliver measurable improvements in both efficiency and customer satisfaction.

3 essential steps to implement real-time tracking

Integrate with major carriers – ensure seamless data flow by connecting your platform with key domestic and international logistics partners.
Enable omnichannel communication – offer customers flexibility to receive notifications via their preferred channels, including SMS, email, push notifications, or a web portal.
Set up proactive alerts – automate status updates and alerts, covering key milestones such as order confirmation, dispatch, delivery, and potential delays, to create a transparent and reassuring customer journey.

A strategic advantage for modern e-commerce

Real-time tracking helps reduce the volume of customer service enquiries, enhances operational efficiency, and improves customer satisfaction. Automating delivery communications drives both internal cost savings and better customer experiences.

Moreover, deploying such a system doesn’t have to be complex or time-consuming. Alsendo Innoship offers ready-made integrations with major carriers and automates customer notifications—without the need to develop proprietary IT tools. This enables businesses to launch real-time tracking quickly and see tangible results in a short time.

Benefits of implementing Alsendo Innoship:

Seamless integration with leading carriers,
Automated customer notifications without overloading your IT team,
Omnichannel communication with customers,
Reduction in customer service enquiries,
Improved customer experience (CX) and increased loyalty,
Rapid deployment without lengthy implementation projects.

In a market where speed and transparency are critical, real-time tracking becomes an essential element of competitive advantage. Leverage this solution today to stay ahead of the competition.

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