Net purchase concerns

Two thirds of shoppers are concerned about returning items they have bought online, with young adults the most likely to demand a hassle-free experience, new research by Royal Mail has revealed.  

Seven in ten online shoppers expressed concern about having to return common retail products.  But for 18 – 24 year olds, this rises to eight in ten young adults, the study found.   

The study suggests that greater attention must be given to the returns needs of the 18-24 age group - a generation of internet-savvy shoppers accustomed to free and instantaneous content and services. 

Of those 18 – 24 year olds dissatisfied with their last returns experience, the study found:·         

• This group is the most likely to abandon purchases due to the perceived difficulty and expense of returning items, dissatisfaction of delivery costs and speed of delivery         
• More than two thirds highlighted the ‘general hassle’ of returning items as the problem         
• Three in ten highlighted difficulty finding information on a retailer’s returns policy as an issue        
• 32 per cent were dissatisfied with the cost of returning an item        
• 40 per cent said re-packing the item was an issue  

Other key findings included:         

• More than six out of ten online shoppers (63 per cent) believe returns should be free         
• 72 per cent of online shoppers claim to have changed the way they shop online due to an unsatisfactory returns experience 

Gary Winter, Royal Mail’s Head of Channel Development for Courier, Express and Parcels, said:

“Delivery satisfaction can directly increase a shopper’s willingness to shop with an online retailer and returns procedures also need to be taken seriously.  Many online shoppers will avoid a retailer altogether should they suffer an unsatisfactory returns experience.