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Consumers outline their e-commerce desires

Wednesday, October 2, 2013 - 13:25 by Sarah Collinson

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A new survey, conducted by Comscore on behalf of UPS, has revealed that convenience is one of the most important assets for British consumers when they carry out safe shopping online.

A thousand adults took part in the study and a number of interesting points were highlighted, including the fact that most people expect to be able to check up on the total cost of an online transaction, including any expenses associated with delivery, as early as possible.

45 per cent of respondents said that they wanted to have the ability to choose a date on which their items would be delivered, while 35 per cent said that they would be better satisfied by the e-commerce experience if they had the option to get products sent to a local retail location for collection, rather than to their homes.

47 per cent of those questioned said that click & collect features were desirable and likely to encourage them to shop online, with a multichannel retailer that also has a high street presence.

58 per cent said that they valued the option to buy something online and then, if they are unhappy with it in any way, take it back to a store to return it.

This is good news for retailers who operate online and on the high street, because it means that there is still a lot of enthusiasm to integrate bricks and mortar outlets into the shopping process at some point along the way.

Almost two thirds of respondents to the study said that they checked up on the returns policy before buying online, which shows that British consumers are conscientious about the specific terms and conditions governing their order.

Report spokesperson, Susan Engleson, said that retailers which were able to adapt and meet the shifting needs of consumers, would be in the best position to remain competitive over the coming years.