There’s nothing more exciting than the moment your online order finally arrives. It’s the unboxing, the “aha” moment, that turns first-time buyers into loyal customers. For e-commerce brands, this is the activation stage. The point where the customer journey becomes fully engaged.
But that magical moment fades fast when delivery is delayed, damaged, or poorly communicated. This not only ruins the experience but also weakens your chances of turning a one-time shopper into a repeat customer.
Our latest E-commerce Delivery Compass 2025 report, based on insights from 8,000 consumers across 8 European countries, reveals that nearly 60% of online consumers have encountered at least one problem with their delivery experience.
So, what’s frustrating customers the most? And how can retailers like you tackle these frustrations to win back loyalty?
Let’s dive in.
Key findings |
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Why shoppers click away at checkout
Imagine a customer excited to finalize their purchase, only to abandon their cart at the last step. What’s the culprit? More often than not, it’s a poor delivery experience.
Globally, delivery issues drive 27.7% of customers away at checkout. This number skyrockets in countries like the UK (41.5%) and France (36.9%), clearly showing that delivery experience isn’t just a minor annoyance; it’s a revenue killer.
And the biggest shipping-related frustration? No surprises here, it’s high delivery costs. An astounding 66.3% of consumers abandon carts when shipping fees exceed their expectations. This frustration is especially high in Germany (67.7%) and the UK (75.5%).
If you are tired of losing money to the skyrocketing cost of logistics, this article offers six tips from real experts on reducing shipping costs.
The real cost of delivery frustrations
Cart abandonment hurts. But broken promises hurt more. When a customer doesn’t receive what they expected, or doesn’t receive anything at all, trust is gone. And with it, their loyalty.
Retention is the engine of sustainable growth. It’s far more cost-effective to retain existing customers than to acquire new ones. Loyal customers buy more, churn less, and refer others.
But if delivery goes wrong, that retention engine stalls. Our survey reveals stark truths about how deeply these issues affect repeat business:
- Missing packages top the list: 57.4% of customers globally say they won’t buy again if a package fails to arrive. This is particularly pronounced in Germany, where an overwhelming 74.2% of consumers state missing packages as a major dealbreaker.
- Damaged products are similarly damaging: 50.9% of European consumers confirm they’d reconsider buying from a brand after receiving damaged goods. In the UK, where e-commerce thrives on quality expectations, this number rises to 59.7%.
- Late deliveries also erode trust quickly, affecting 31.9% of customers. Spanish shoppers, notably sensitive to delays, reach as high as 42.3%.
One negative experience can wipe out hard-earned trust, trigger support tickets, and fuel bad reviews. Multiply that across hundreds of orders, and you’re not just looking at reputational damage but at rising acquisition costs, declining lifetime value, and a business model that’s harder and harder to scale.
You’re not alone. Check out these 8 game-changing best practices that will transform the way customers feel after making a purchase. Let’s make their journey smooth and satisfying!
Delivery silence speaks volumes: Communication matters
Frustration isn’t just about late or missing parcels; it also grows from poor communication. Customers crave clarity and transparency. According to our survey:
And it’s not just about where, it’s about when.
Customers don’t just want to know their parcel is coming, they want immediate notification if there’s any issue. Over 80% expect immediate notifications if there’s a delay, with particularly high expectations in France, Italy, and Spain.
But here’s the problem: despite all this demand, over half of shoppers say they’ve experienced fragmented or missing updates. Some get no notifications at all. Others are bombarded from multiple sources (store, carrier, third-party), leaving them confused and frustrated.
Why tracking still makes or breaks the post-purchase experience
According to our survey, 24.2% of consumers across Europe say they wouldn’t reorder from a store that doesn’t offer reliable tracking. That’s nearly one in four shoppers walking away just because they were left in the dark.
In Italy (35.1%) and France (31.3%), tracking is a dealbreaker. Consumers there expect full visibility from the moment the order is confirmed to the moment it’s at their door. Without it, you risk losing repeat business, no matter how good your product is.
Shoppers in the UK and Belgium tend to be a little more forgiving. If the price is right or the product is hard to find, they might stick around. But even there, tracking issues can still tip the balance, especially when expectations are high.
Keep your customers informed. Explore these 10 strategies to optimize order tracking.
Support to the rescue: when everything else fails
When things go wrong with delivery, and they sometimes will, customer support becomes your last line of defense.
When tracking fails or delays occur, support teams are often the only human touchpoint left to turn a negative experience around.
In fact, nearly 85% of respondents expect to have an easy and straightforward way to contact customer service if there is an issue with their delivery.
Merchant tip: Empower your support team with real-time parcel data and clear escalation processes. This guide explores how to deal with delivery issues with Support Automation.
Great communication builds trust. But great support can restore it even when things go wrong.
How brands can address consumer frustrations
Even the best delivery network isn’t perfect. What is the difference between churn and loyalty? How you respond.
Prevention: Stop the issue before it starts
- Offer flexible delivery options at checkout: Match shopper expectations with multiple choices. E.g. Free (slower) shipping, next-day delivery, out-of-home options, etc.
- Be transparent with shipping tiers: Let customers self-select speed vs. price. E.g. Free 4-day vs. €4 next-day.
- Negotiate multi-carrier rates: Work with several carriers and pass cost savings on to your customers.
- Choose reliability over rock-bottom prices: One bad delivery can wipe out a customer. A trusted carrier is worth the extra cent.
- Centralize tracking with a branded portal: One clear source of truth helps avoid confusion from third-party emails.
- Show accurate delivery estimates: No vague “3–5 business days”, and give clear, realistic ETAs upfront.
- Tailor your post-purchase flow accordingly: Ship with local carriers, send language-specific notifications, and country-level SLAs.
- Insure what matters: Add reliable shipping insurance to protect both your customer and your margins.
- Upgrade your packaging game: Parcels are handled 10+ times before delivery—sturdy packaging prevents damage (and returns).
- Build a proactive parcel-inquiries dashboard: Empower your agents to see issues before the customer even asks.
Recovery: Turn a bad experience into loyalty
When something does go wrong:
- Act fast with automated updates.
- Acknowledge the issue, don’t wait for the customer to ask.
- Offer goodwill: think free returns, discount codes, or a personal message.
These gestures don’t just fix the problem, they show your customers you care.
Final thoughts: Let’s close the gap between the promise and the experience
E-commerce isn’t just about price or product anymore. It’s about the entire experience, from click to doorstep. And increasingly, delivery is where brands win or lose loyalty.
The good news? You can turn every parcel into a loyalty opportunity with the right delivery strategy. Because in the end, every parcel is a chance to earn trust or break it.
Want to see how your delivery experience compares across markets? Check out our full E-commerce Delivery Compass 2025 with country-by-country data and actionable insights.
