2 in 5 UK shoppers abandon online carts over delivery concerns

High costs, slow speed, and lack of delivery control are driving shoppers away

London, 15 May 2025 - An increasing number of UK online shoppers are abandoning their purchases due to concerns about delivery. According to new research from shipping platform Sendcloud, 2 in 5 consumers (40.6%) have abandoned an online purchase in the past year due to issues related to delivery. Webshops that do not offer flexible delivery options risk losing significant revenue.

Based on a survey of 1,000 UK shoppers for the upcoming E-commerce Delivery Compass, the data reveals that high shipping costs (78.5%) and slow delivery speeds (41.6%) are the main reasons for cart abandonment. Other contributing factors include unclear or inconvenient delivery options (24%).

Flexibility more important than speed

While 56.9% of UK consumers prefer fast delivery, the majority (43.1%) would rather have control over when their order is delivered. Delivery should not only be fast but also fit into the consumer’s schedule.

"Consumers no longer think of delivery as a backend process. It’s a core part of the overall experience," says Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and Co-founder of Sendcloud. "Shoppers now expect delivery to seamlessly integrate into their busy lives. Retailers that don’t offer flexible options, such as out-of-home delivery, will lose customers to competitors that do. Success in e-commerce isn’t just about speed; it’s about providing choice."

Out-of-home delivery continues to gain ground

While home delivery remains the preferred option (77.1%), alternatives are rapidly growing in popularity. Parcel lockers (21.1%) and pick-up points (25.4%) are increasingly favoured, with 36.8% of consumers now actively choosing retailers that offer these flexible ‘out-of-home’ delivery options.

Flexibility is crucial here. Nearly 1 in 5 shoppers (18.7%) abandon a purchase because they can’t select a suitable delivery time, and 16.2% drop out because they can’t change the delivery address. When consumers are given the option to choose a time slot, preferred delivery windows include 10 AM–12 PM (23.4%), 4 PM–6 PM (16.9%), and 6 PM–8 PM (16.3%), further emphasizing that fit often outweighs speed.

Full report to be released in May

The full results will be published later this month in the E-commerce Delivery Compass 2025. The report offers retailers valuable insights into shifting consumer behavior around delivery, with practical recommendations for improving checkout performance and reducing cart abandonment. This edition includes responses from 8,000 consumers across eight European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

About Sendcloud

Sendcloud is Europe’s leading shipping platform that empowers e-commerce merchants to scale their shipping operations effortlessly and deliver a customer-first experience. 

Through its connected suite of tools, Sendcloud centralizes and automates the entire shipping process, from label creation to branded tracking, support automation, and returns. This enables retailers, marketplaces, and fulfillment companies to stay ahead of consumer demands.

Founded in 2012, Sendcloud was born from a genuine need to create a level playing field for all e-commerce merchants. Backed by Softbank and trusted by 25,000+ companies across Europe, Sendcloud has the vision to solve shipping globally.