Accenture: Top performing retailers for Cyber Monday shipping were…

Most retailers delivered on their shipping promises despite higher volume on Cyber Monday.

The latest Holiday Shipping study from Accenture Strategy found that despite higher volumes in the e-commerce and buy-online-pick-up-in-store categories on Cyber Monday, retailers were, on the main, able to keep their shipping promises.

The study analyzed deliver to home orders placed with 116 retailers across a variety of categories to measure shipping speed, order accuracy and delivery costs. The top-performing retailers (fastest delivery order completed with no errors) include: Zara, The North Face, Staples, Zappos, Patagonia, CVS, Finish Line, Ulta, Lowe’s, Office Depot, DSW, Cole Haan, Amazon Prime, Wrangler, Best Buy, and Timberland.

Additional findings from the study are below.

•    Delivery timelines took a slight hit with top-performing retailers fulfilling orders in an average of 2.8 days compared to 1.8 days in 2019.

•    Twenty-one percent of orders arrived in one week compared to 22% in 2019.

•    Fifty-seven percent of retailers are offering contactless pickup (something that has not been offered in previous years). 

•    Sixty-five percent of retailers offer either BOPIS or curbside compared to 52% in 2019

“It is encouraging to note that retailers have managed to avoid a supply chain crunch to date,” said Steve Osburn, managing director in Accenture Strategy’s retail industry sector. “However, with carriers placing shipping caps, there’s some question about whether retailers are going to make the promises that they will ultimately struggle to fulfill in the coming weeks.”

“However, the work is just beginning and with local shutdowns, carrier capacity issues and consumer safety concerns, this season continues to be one of the most challenging that many retailers have ever seen,” he continued. “Success will require flexibility to update current plans when things change, creativity to come up with new solutions on the fly, and agility to implement the new plans in time to meet consumer demands throughout the rest of the holiday season.”