Transparency reigns supreme for online shoppers

Online shoppers want to see it all upfront.

That’s according to a study by UPS, which found that 95% of all buyers expect to see all shipping fees and taxes totaled before they’ll complete the purchase. It also found that online shoppers in general have a very low appetite for paying for shipping, and while they like conveniences such as next-day deliveries, they would rather not pay for it.

In order to obtain free shipping, online shoppers are willing to add items to the cart (36%), choose the slowest transit time (32%) and search online for a promo code (32%). Millennial shoppers are more likely to choose accelerated delivery options than other age groups.

The “2019 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper” found that returns remain key to creating return customers. Seventy-three percent of surveyed consumers said that the returns experience affected whether they would continue shopping with a retailer. Globally, 36% of online shoppers returned an item in the previous three months.

Other findings from the report are below.

•The main reason cited for a poor returns experience is delay in getting a refund (25%). Having to pay for a return annoys a significant percentage of consumers (24%), as does a delay in receiving an exchange or a replacement item (21%).

•Ninety percent of customers research items before purchasing them online, while younger generations are most likely to be influenced by customer reviews.

•About one in five (19%) of consumers have more than five loyalty memberships. Reasons given for joining include free shipping, members-only discounts and rewards points.

•Ninety-six percent of online shoppers have used a marketplace, while 36% of consumers worldwide intend to purchase more on marketplaces in the next 12 months. Worldwide, 48% of consumers buy items impulsively on marketplaces.

•Fifty-six percent of online shoppers track deliveries, with Americans the most likely to be active trackers.

The 2019 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study captured evolving trends, preferences and expectations of online shoppers in 15 countries and regions, including the U.S., Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and India.