Increasingly demanding consumers are turning to third-party delivery, rather than going directly through a brand or retailer, for more trusted delivery options, according to a survey from Acquity Group.
The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers found 66 percent more likely to order from a company offering faster delivery while 87 percent preferred ordering from a company offering delivery transparency (i.e., updates on delivery time and method).
Asked which delivery services they used, 73 percent said standard delivery from a third party service (such as GrubHub); 63 percent used standard delivery from a retailer or grocer; 46 percent used expedited delivery from a third party service; and 51 percent used BOPIS (buy-online, in-store pickup.). Sixty-four percent would pay a premium for faster delivery, with 39 percent saying they would pay more for same-day delivery (the most popular option).
Acquity, an Accenture-owned digital marketing and e-commerce consulting business, said, "tapping into third-party partnerships to facilitate" speed and transparency "may be a winning strategy." Seventy-five percent were open to receiving deliveries from third parties rather than ordering their products directly from a retailer. However, adoption is just beginning, with 12 percent using services such as Postmates to receive an item from a company that doesn't ordinarily offer delivery.
Source: GrubHub.com
Acquity wrote in the report, "As the sharing economy and crowdsourced businesses take off, businesses that recognize where a partnership fits into their overall brand strategy can benefit by expanding their offerings and helping consumers get the products they want, exactly when they need them."
The survey also detailed delivery risks, with 52 percent of respondents blaming the brand or retailer the product is ordered from — rather than the shipping company — when a delivery fails to arrive on schedule. Of those who indicated a package hadn't arrived on time, 63 percent said it influenced their future shopping with that company in some way.
Among the respondents making adjustments:
- Thirty-seven percent switched to a faster shipping method;
- Twenty-three percent did not order directly from that company again;
- Fourteen percent ordered the same products from a different company;
- Fourteen percent ordered further in advance.