The Omnichannel Retail Report: COVID-19’s Impact on Consumer Expectations

• March 10, 2021

We asked 500 consumers about online shopping preferences. Here’s what they said.

eCommerce sales spiked last year and volumes remain high. With it, comes higher expectations for fast and free delivery. Retailers and brands must implement solutions to meet and exceed those expectations.

Key Takeaways

• eCommerce spiked and isn’t slowing down: 69% of consumers say their online spending increased because of COVID and hasn’t slowed down
• Fast, free shipping is critical: 93% of consumers will search elsewhere for free shipping; 85% will search elsewhere for faster shipping
• Fast shipping increases sales: 57% of consumers say that Amazon Prime One-Day Delivery and Same-Day Delivery increase how much they purchase from Amazon
• Shopping cart abandonment is a logistics problem: Two of the top 3 reasons for shopping cart abandonment relates to logistics, including shipping fees are too high and delivery times are too slow
• Same-day delivery keeps retailers up at night: 49% of retailers say Amazon Prime One-Day Delivery and Same-Day Delivery pose a threat to their business

Introduction

The world is different now. COVID-19 changed how we live, how we interact, and how we consume.

In March 2020, stores closed and sales moved online. The magnitude of that shift brought the industry to its knees. For the first time, the world paid attention to the supply chain.

New consumer buying behaviors may be one of the most significant and lasting impacts of COVID-19. In Q4 2020, Flexe conducted two surveys to better understand those changes:

• The 2020 Flexe Omnichannel Consumer Survey, in which 500 consumers were asked about COVID-19’s impact on their shopping behaviors and how delivery promises impact their purchasing decisions.
• The 2020 Flexe Retailer and Brand Business Survey, in which 200+ retailers were surveyed about their eCommerce delivery options and what they are prioritizing as a result of consumer behavior in the last 12 months.

Tags: Consumer behavior Last-mile logistics Omnichannel logistics White Papers & Guides