The nation’s wallets are currently feeling a bit of a hangover from the spending spree of Amazon’s Prime Day on July 16th. It’s almost strange to think that just a few years prior to forking out £4m for an episode of The Grand Tour or before it developed its own rival to Spotify, Amazon Prime’s sole selling point was a superior delivery service. And despite all the extras adding value to the service in 2018, a large number of Prime users are still signed up simply for the benefit of getting whatever they buy, quickly. Here, Brian Green (pictured below), director of  sales, EMEA, Magento, explains that despite all the extras adding value to the service in 2018, a large number of Prime users are still signed up simply for the benefit of getting whatever they buy, quickly.

With Amazon setting the bar, any online retailer wishing to remain competitive will need to make their delivery options as streamlined, thorough and efficient as possible.

Online retail’s stratospheric rise has been because of two key factors: cost & flexibility. Fewer overheads such as not having to pay for premises on a high street or in a shopping centre means that savings can be passed down to the consumer in a case of trickle-down economics and margins can be maximised. Flexibility through a wider product range, as the ecommerce store is not bound by the limitations of a physical shop, means that a larger product range can be offered across a website than even the largest department store. In addition, the ease by which those items can be purchased is now as equally as important. Conversely, lengthy or expensive delivery processes are enough to stop someone from making a purchase entirely.

Recent statistics from eConsultancy have found that 50% of abandoned purchases are due to inadequate shipping options. How many times have you gone to purchase a last minute birthday present only to find that there’s only one 3-5 day delivery option? How often do you shop around online to find the best value before realising that high shipment cost is going to negate the savings? Statistically, just as many people are likely to abandon their purchase as they are to check out in these sorts of situations. Whether that customer ends up looking elsewhere for better delivery options or giving up on the item altogether, its business lost.

Brian Green, director of  sales, EMEA, Magento

Shipping is now a significant aspect of the customer journey. Far too many retailers are falling short at the final mile which leads to incredibly dissatisfied customers, big increases in abandoned shopping carts and loss of loyal customers and repeat business.

Giving customers the delivery options they desire – whether it’s click and collect, expedited next day delivery or a slower but cheaper shipment – is key to successfully securing a sale and achieving long-term customer loyalty. Perhaps because we are accustomed to the near-instant delivery offered by Amazon, many consumers don’t even consider their preferences because they are already taken care of without realising.

This is a very frustrating situation for a retailer to be in. You think you’ve done the hard work; you’ve painstakingly worked out deals with vendors and distributors to stock an online store full of items that you know your customers want and you’ve made sure that their pricing is competitive. And yet with restrictive delivery options, much of that effort might be going to waste

So what can online retailers do to make sure they don’t fall at the final hurdle?

Make delivery options a critical aspect of your ecommerce solution selection. Survey customers and competitors to identify the right set of choices to offer. Customer requirements will change from day to day, purchase to purchase, so make sure you define the ‘minimum viable service’. Does your ecommerce platform integrate the best flexible shipping solutions? Can you offer next day or elected day delivery, click & collect, and options for the cost-conscious shopper who is happy to sacrifice speed for cheaper or free delivery? Predicting what customers want is critical.

Cox & Cox are a great example of a retailer who are optimising the way they get their products into the hands of customers. Cox & Cox are an online homeware, furniture, and textiles retailer currently growing 20 percent year-on-year. To support this growth, the eCommerce team upgraded all of their ecommerce & related technologies at once – their ecommerce platform, their ERP solution and warehouse system. The webstore became mobile responsive and offers flexible shipping options by connecting Magento Shipping with their Warehouse Management System to the Magento Shipping API, to reduce complexity and maximise check out conversion.

Retailers at the top of the pack make these processes run like clockwork to ensure a seamless customer experience that win top class Trustpilot reviews and best in class Net Promoter Scores. Your business needs to excel in customer service and delivery every day to beat the likes of Amazon on their Prime Day.