Some unexpected conclusions about online shopping

“When we looked into and analyzed the data from the 2014 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper Study, there were several findings we had not expected,” says Bala Ganesh.

In an email response to my questions, Ganesh outlined some of the highlights:
Here are some of the highlights:

•         Pre-Purchase Experience: Consumers still prefer to research (68%) and purchase (44%) products on their desktop or laptop computers despite the growth of m-commerce

•         Mobile limitations: Despite double-digit growth in mobile commerce, online shoppers still prefer to visit a retailer’s full website and make online purchases via a desktop or laptop computer. Some of the obstacles consumers are experiencing when shopping on a mobile device include 43% not being able to get a clear or large enough product image and 34% not being able to easily read/view product information

•         The Role of Checkout, Shipping and Delivery Options: Similar to last year’s study, consumers are surprisingly patient when it comes to deliveries. 85% of consumers are willing to wait 5 days or more for their online purchases and 83% would be willing to wait at least 2 additional days in order to qualify for free shipping

•         Security: Trust in online shopping has grown over the past year, with 69% of online shoppers saying their trust level has stayed the same and another 18% saying their trust has increased

•         Out-of-Stock Items: When items are out of stock, 41% of online shoppers will to a competitor’s website or app for the same or similar item whereas 21% will go to a competitor’s physical store location Online shoppers want retailers to make it easier to purchase their goods and services.

Ganesh says that consumers also want websites and stores to work better together. For now, they also prefer to evaluate and purchase products from their desktops rather than their mobile devices, and when it comes to shipping and returns “free” is a driving factor to complete the sale.