Consumer Expectations During the Holiday Season

Since the outbreak of the global pandemic in 2020, eCommerce retail has undergone many changes. It accelerated the growth of online shopping due to convenience and safety. Though the conditions improved with vaccination drives, a large section of the consumers continue to shop online.

With each passing year, especially during the festive season (aka the peak season for eCommerce & eRetail businesses), online shoppers’ expectations skyrocket; keeping eCommerce retailers on their toes. Let’s take a look at the changing consumer expectations.

ALSO READ: How do Third-Party Logistics Improve Customer Satisfaction

Apart From These #InsightsByXPDEL, a Few More Customer Expectations to be Considered
• Customer Support: CX organizations are expected to see a significant increase in inquiries during the holiday season. After all, 90% of consumers say they would switch brands after experiencing lousy customer service.
• Customer Support Agents with Answers: Fast customer service is useless if customers don’t get the correct answer to their inquiries.67% of customers say they would cancel their purchase after experiencing a bad customer service interaction.
• Omnichannel Presence: During the peak holiday season, ensure that you are available on all the digital platforms or channels that your customers frequent. As high as 85% of customers get frustrated if they can’t reach you on their favorite channel.
• Shopping Experience: Nowadays, online shoppers expect an excellent shopping experience, including a seamless checkout process and immediate customer support. 90% of online shoppers say that a good shopping experience and customer experience influence their purchase decision.
• Shipment Tracking: Consumers now insist on getting shipment tracking information. 45% of online shoppers check tracking options before purchasing. At the same time, a significant 86% of online shoppers are concerned about getting packages on time, especially during the Holiday season.
• Free Shipping: Consumers have become more demanding than before. 9 out of 10 customers are likely to purchase from brands that offer free shipping.
• Variety in Pickup Options: Consumers nowadays expect a variety of pick-up options. In fact, this year, almost 63% of consumers are more likely to buy online and pick up from the store.

ALSO READ: The Importance of Holiday Returns

Conclusion:

With this year’s holiday season almost knocking at your door, preparations must start now onwards to match your customers’ expectations. Also, the crucial element to keep in mind is that omnichannel eCommerce is no longer a stopgap solution due to the pandemic but more an expectation from your customers.

About XPDEL:

XPDELis a leading and hi-tech provider of Fulfillment and Logistics Services, on a mission to enable growth for eCommerce companies. We are futuristics in our vision and constantly work on creating technology that helps us meet customer expectations not just for today but also for tomorrow. We have a widespread network of Fulfillment centers that enables us to efficiently handle nationwide delivery in the US – same day, next day, 2-day delivery. Being located closer to the end consumer, we deliver much faster compared to others. We make returns easy for your customers, so they keep buying from you without worry.