E-commerce Delivery Compass 2023
To bring you the latest insights around e-commerce logistics we surveyed over 9000 online shoppers. Learn about their delivery expectations and discover how you can outgrow your competitors by improving your delivery experience.
Want the key insights?
About the study
Looking for ungated and unaltered e-commerce statistics? Look no further
Gender
Age
Location
The mantra “the customer is always right” still holds true today.. So 9000 of them definitely can’t be wrong.
We asked a HUGE number of customers essential questions concerning their shipping experiences & expectations.
To get a clear picture of your customer’s voice, we asked shoppers from these European countries and the US.
You’re also going to see the different shopping habits between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers.
Plus, the year-on-year changes per country and per generation.
E-commerce statistics in the last decade
Before we dive in, let’s take a look at what’s happened in the last decade…
2014-2019
Stable
and manageable growth
2020
Hyper-growth
caused by the outbreak of the pandemic
2021
56% increase
in sales in 2 years (US)
2022
Hyper-growth curtailed
as pandemic “ended”
2023
Fears of a recession
but with growth still likely
2014-2019
Stable
and manageable growth
2020
Hyper-growth
caused by the outbreak of the pandemic
2021
56% increase
in sales in 2 years (US)
2022
Hyper-growth curtailed
as pandemic “ended”
2023
Fears of a recession
but with growth still likely
47% of consumers orders twice a month or more
On average consumers order 1.7 times a month
2022 Country Breakdown +
Average order frequency per month
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.5
The average order value is €136
The average order value is ~100 euro or higher
2022 Country Breakdown +
Average order value last online order
174.0
161.4
144.0
141.9
126.8
123.5
105.3
99.8
98.6
Consumers are willing to wait almost 5 days to receive their order
Consumers became more patient over time
2022 Country Breakdown +
Average maximum delivery time
5.6
5.1
5.0
5.0
4.8
4.8
4.8
4.7
4.4
Consumers are willing to wait between 5-6 days to receive their refund
The EU maximum days to pay a refund is 14 days
2022 Country Breakdown +
Average maximum days to wait for a refund.
6.6
5.9
5.5
5.5
5.3
5.1
4.9
4.7
4.3
23,000 brands use Sendcloud
to meet their customer’s demands
Give your customers the delivery experience they want,
while cutting down on logistics related costs.
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E-commerce statistics comparing shipping across Europe & the US
Expanding your business to new markets is at the top of most merchants’ priority lists.
To be successful in a crowded market, you need to know the different habits and preferences in different countries and regions.
You might not have expected that….
Did you know?
French consumers prefer picking their parcels up at a service point while Spanish and Italian customers get excited when they can select their own delivery date?
It’s these seemingly small differences that make such a big impact.
The willingness to pay for shipping depends heavily on the order value
Premium shipping, but also price psychology can be reasons why the average is higher for high-order values
2022 Country Breakdown +
Average cost willing to pay for shipping
$7.5
$9.2
$12.8
€4.8
€4.9
€5.8
£4.7
£5.1
£6.8
€4.6
€5.3
€6.9
€4.5
€4.5
€5.5
€4.4
€4.6
€6.2
€4.1
€4.8
€6.5
€3.8
€4.6
€6.3
€3.5
€4.0
€5.5
Which delivery methods will be most popular in 2023?
Let’s take a look at the most popular delivery methods in each country
ps. you can interact with some data, keep your eyes
23% of consumers would not place an order if tracking is not available
SMS tracking is winning territory when it comes to how consumers want to receive their updates
Country Breakdown +
Preferred channels for tracking updates
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64% | 71% | 68% | 71% | 75% | 69% | 60% | 66% | 67% | |
| SMS | 58% | 20% | 36% | 27% | 39% | 39% | 32% | 38% | 51% |
| Tracking app from the carrier | 31% | 31% | 32% | 41% | 34% | 34% | 27% | 26% | 39% |
| 18% | 21% | 20% | 26% | 12% | 12% | 42% | 39% | 9% | |
| 9% | 5% | 3% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 4% | 6% | 12% | |
| Telegram | 3% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Other | 1% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Cut down on customer inquiries
and build customer loyalty
Keep customers updated automatically with tracking updates in your brand style to increase customers satisfaction and drive sales forward.
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Generations
It’s not only important where you are shipping to but also to whom.
Let’s take returns as an example…
The end of free returns…
The concept of “bracketing” aka “buy-and-try” is very costly for businesses. The result: more and more big players put an end to free returns (e.g. Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo). Will this set a new direction for returns in the future?
The attitude towards returns and their fees seems to undergo a change in the younger generations. But see yourself what Gen Z and the Millennials have to say about it below.
More customers are open to paying for a return
The maximum price consumers are willing to pay depends on the order value but also age.
The older people get, the more patient they are when it comes to refunds
Want more insights?
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Discover 25+ key insights
- Learn what shipping related reasons make customers abandon their shipping cart
- Find out what impact the pandemic has on willingness to pay shipping costs
- Discover the reasons why consumers prefer one carrier over the other
And more!
Getting to know your customers is integral to grow your business. Start now or regret it later.
Grab your free report below.
