FOCUS ON eCOMMERCE
eCommerce report reveals consumer insights A new eCommerce research report from Whistl contains revealing and valuable insights into current consumer attitudes and behaviours. Here’s a summary of some of the key findings from the survey of over 1000 UK online shoppers.
Saving money is top of mind.
Whilst UK online expenditure is expected to drop by 3% this year compared to 2022, the report profiles some groups expecting to up their spend.
Members of the Parcelhub team gather to celebrate the 20th anniversary
83% of consumers hunt around online to find bargains…
+2% increase in spend
Men overall
… and that probably explains why only 3% of consumers are loyal to particular online retailers. But there was greater unanimity about what’s important when it comes to delivery options. 54% ranked delivery cost to be #1 important delivery factor. ...whilst 24% said speed of delivery was #1. Surprisingly – or even shockingly – 40% of respondents ranked green/sustainable delivery as the least important delivery feature.
PAST AND PRESENT – THE PARCELHUB STORY Exactly 20 years ago, Mark Rosenberg and Steve Riley rented an office and warehouse in Nottingham, and Mail Workshop was born. three items at the same time and the parcel was bulking up. The second was that those In 2018, Whistl came knocking, attracted by the pioneering,
Household income of £70K+ +8% increase in spend Those with kids +2% increase in spend
whistl.co.uk/research/ecommerce -consumer-research
proprietary delivery management software and systems now under the Parcelhub umbrella, plus of course the people who had been party to its development. The rest, as they say, is history. As part of the Whistl Group, Parcelhub has doubled in size and expanded across locations outside its East Midlands stronghold, offering smaller eCommerce companies a level of personal service that bigger operators simply couldn’t provide. Meanwhile, systems developed by the Nottingham team have been adopted across the Whistl Group, reinforcing our position as industry leaders in the customer service experience. Happy Birthday Parcelhub!
retailers, and their customers, wanted to be kept updated with tracking and status updates for the delivery. A software development programme was initiated with an in-house Mail Workshop team and external contractors working in tandem, and in October 2008, ‘Parcelhub’ was launched. At this time, that was the name for the newly-developed labelling and tracking software that could be installed at customers’ premises to help them keep tabs on deliveries. As the business continued to grow, Mail Workshop concentrated on the pick & pack side of fulfilment, whilst the Parcelhub offer expanded to include carrier management as well as customer service and tracking.
Their belief was that they could handle post and parcels for mail order companies – and the nascent online retail trade – at better prices than the competition. It was all hands to the pump with family members helping to fulfil orders, but they were soon attracting high-profile East Midlands-based clients like Games Workshop. Their belief was proved right and their reading of the market continued to be unerring with two simultaneous realisations. The first was that mail order companies needed a more flexible and cost-efficient delivery service than the post, especially when customers were ordering two or
The research was launched as part of a special eCommerce event organised by Whistl Fulfilment. ‘Thrive, not just survive’ was the theme for the one-day event at the Aviva Tower in London, with guest speakers including leading eCommerce commentators and representatives from top UK online brands. The specially-invited audience was made up of delegates from a diverse range of UK retailers, from start-ups to high street brands with a significant online presence. Just days into her appointment as Commercial Director of Whistl Fulfilment, Fliss O’Hara boldly stepped up to unveil the research findings. True to the theme of the day, she didn’t just survive, she thrived!
Most telling, was the delivery threshold cost.
If the delivery cost is higher than £5.95, you can lose more than 50% of your customers.
If you’re looking to outsource fulfilment for your eCommerce brand visit whistl.co.uk/fulfilment/fulfilment-enquiry
We are planning a similar event next year – sign up to our newsletter so you don’t miss out www.whistl.co.uk/customer-portal/newsletter
whistl.co.uk/parcelhub
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
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