Creating personalised e-commerce experiences and providing alternate delivery locations are helping retailers boost customer satisfaction. According to the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study, online shoppers in Asia continue to be the least satisfied with their online and in-store shopping experiences.
UPS and comScore Inc. released the second global study analysing what drives an online shopper’s full path to purchase. Results show the advent of the ‘flex shopper’ – an online buyer who easily switches channels and devices when evaluating and purchasing products, and also expects a seamless retail experience from research to delivery.
The Asia survey is part of a global study that examines emerging trends from Brazil, Mexico, Europe and the United States. Key global findings include:
– Online shoppers want alternative delivery locations and payment options
– Mobile is a catalyst to omnichannel shopping and retailers should address limitations
– Free shipping is still important along with a greater emphasis on returns
“Technology is changing the way we interact with each other, and transforming the way we consume,” said Rob Houck, vice president of marketing, UPS Asia Pacific. “Constant connectivity to information, products and services has fueled a consumerist culture of instant gratification that is driving e-commerce growth across the world, especially in Asia Pacific where it’s forecasted to represent a third of e-commerce sales in 20151.”
Personalised experience drives customer loyalty
The study revealed 48 per cent of Asian online shoppers embrace new shopping trends. The market has the second highest adoption of curated subscription services – the tactic retailers use to help consumers discover products based on their preferences and purchase history. China has the highest number of online shoppers enrolled in such services at 68 per cent, followed by South Korea at 55 per cent, and Singapore at 49 per cent. In comparison, it is much lower in Europe at 23 per cent and the US at 22 per cent. Japanese online shoppers are the least interested in this service, with only 18 per cent of respondents enrolled.
Mobile research helps make purchasing decisions
Purchasing via desktop and laptop devices is still commonplace, however, mobile usage continues to impact the path to purchase. In Asia, consumers use their mobile devices to track deliveries, research products prior to a store visit or while in store and to make actual purchases. Chinese and Hong Kong (76 per cent) and South Korean (75 per cent) smartphone shoppers prefer making purchases on a smartphone.
To drive conversion from research to active consumption, retailers should consider enhancing their mobile platforms. Top concerns include product images not being clear or large enough (50 per cent), product information not able to be viewed easily (42 per cent) and technical difficulties when comparing products on websites (41 per cent).
Alternate options to increase customer satisfaction
While online shoppers prefer to have the majority of their orders delivered to their home, there is a growing trend for alternate delivery locations. Asia leads all markets with 45 per cent of respondents stating they prefer to have their online orders delivered to locations other than their home. When they are unavailable to sign for a package, 33 per cent said they want their items shipped to a local retail location authorised to hold packages for pickup at their convenience.
These locations are a popular choice for 47 per cent of Hong Kong online shoppers, but the least preferred in China (27 per cent). European online shoppers prefer to have their items left with a neighbor (38 per cent), in Mexico (42 per cent) prefer to have their items shipped to a carrier’s location.
“Consumers engage better with businesses that allow them to exert control at various touch points along the shopping process. UPS is uniquely positioned to empower retailers by reducing points of friction for the ‘flex shopper’, and provide a personalised customer experience with innovative logistics solutions and returns services,” Houck said.
