Online shoppers say they have increased their online purchases by a third (31 per cent) over the past year, with 60 per cent saying the majority of their shopping is now done online “as a result of the pandemic”, according to research.

ShipStation, which provides an e-commerce order and delivery management platform, questioned over 500 online shoppers living in the UK with an average age of 35 for the research.

Supply chain challenges due to the sharp increase in online shopping have only made the delivery experience more influential in 2020, it was found.

As the final interaction with the retailer, 84 per cent of shoppers say it stands out most in the e-commerce customer experience, and 87 per cent assert that the delivery experience directly impacts their decision to shop with the retailer again.

In addition, 80 per cent said that COVID-19 has increased their expectations for brands and retailers to communicate order delays or cancellation updates, with a massive 93 per cent expecting potential delivery delays to be addressed prior to checkout.

“As the pandemic forced so many sectors to shift to digital operations, the retail industry saw a massive surge in e-commerce purchases followed by major strain on the supply chain,” said Mike Hayers, UK country manager at ShipStation.

“Our data shows that while consumers have become a little more patient as a result, they still expect to be given clear information up-front, and their products to be delivered on time. The influence of this on a brand’s reputation cannot be understated.”

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