EXCLUSIVE: Consumers' delivery expectations include...
Consumers place high importance on a brand’s shipping experience when buying products online.
According to a new report from AI-powered shipping platform ShipBae released exclusively to Chain Store Age, 96% of consumers said their shipping experience directly impacts their trust and confidence in a retail brand.
Miscommunication can hurt a brand’s perception the most. Nearly nine-in-10 (88%) consumers say it’s a letdown when an order marked as shipped hasn’t actually left the warehouse. When a package is lost, damaged or delayed, two-thirds (67%) of consumers hold the retailer, not the carrier, responsible for resolving the issue.
Nearly one-in-four respondents said they would stop buying from that seller after a single delivery failure, according to the survey. Real-time tracking (60%) and shipment notifications (58%) rank as the top shipping features for building loyalty with consumers.
ShipBae’s report also examined consumers’ thoughts on free shipping. A wide majority (93%) of those surveyed said they would abandon a purchase at least some of the time when free shipping isn't available. However, 63% prioritize fast shipping over free shipping.
Nearly seven-in-10 (69%) respondents say an order arriving later than promised has a significant negative impact on their loyalty to a retail brand, though many consumers (72%) are more forgiving of delivery delays during the holidays than during the rest of the year.
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Consumers cited high shipping fees (64%) and having to pay for shipping at all (61%) are the top shipping-related deterrents to holiday purchases, followed by higher minimums for free shipping (51%).
Additional highlights from ShipBae’s report include the following:
- Excluding Amazon, 82% expect retailers to ship their orders within 48 hours, including 56% who expect orders to ship within 24 hours. Three-quarters (75%) consider seven days or less an acceptable holiday delivery window, while 36% expect delivery within four days.
- For last-minute gifts, 64% would pay for expedited shipping, and 56% would buy from a retailer offering guaranteed delivery. Nearly half (45%) would only order from larger retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, or Target when purchasing last-minute holiday gifts.
- Seven-in-10 (701%) consumers are more open to paying for shipping when they can check out with a mobile wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Wallet.
- Only 6% of shoppers trust an AI chatbot to handle every shipping-related task. More than half would not rely on one to explain delays (53%), track shipments (52%) or file claims (51%).
“There’s no question higher carrier rates and holiday surcharges will eat into merchant margins this year,” said Jude Kim, co-founder and chief operating officer of ShipBae. “Recouping those costs at checkout may make sense on paper, but in practice it risks losing both the sale and the customer. The priority will now be securing the most competitive rates and making smarter carrier decisions, while using free shipping thresholds, free return labels, and accurate tracking to keep shoppers coming back. Retailers that get this right will be better positioned to protect both their profit margins and preserve brand loyalty this season.”
ShipBae’s survey was conducted via SurveyMonkey Sept. 1–2 among a national sample of 1,974 U.S. adults. The full report can be found here.
