Germany-based secondary market research leader yStats.com has released a new report titled, “Europe B2C E-Commerce Delivery 2015”. The publication reveals some important facts about the market and online shoppers’ attitudes about various delivery options. According to yStats.com’s CEO and founder, Yücel Yelken, “while home delivery is still the dominant delivery option in many B2C E-Commerce markets across Europe, the importance of alternative methods, such as click-and-collect, is on the rise”.
For the majority of online shoppers in European countries, delivery to their home or workplace is the most important B2C E-Commerce delivery option. Nevertheless, alternative options are becoming more and more popular, as yStats.com’s research shows. In the UK, over two thirds of online shoppers have already used click-and-collect services, while in France the most popular alternative option was delivery to a local shop. Germany led in the share of online shoppers using delivery to designated delivery lockers.
Another trend in European B2C E-Commerce delivery is the persistent significance of free delivery offers. An overwhelming majority of online shoppers in countries such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany indicate that free shipping is one of the most important factors in their purchase decision. On the other hand, delivery speed is also a major issue. Surveys from early 2015 cited in yStats.com’s report reveal that more than half of online shoppers in Europe expect their order to be delivered within 3 to 5 days. Especially in Eastern Europe a significant share of online shoppers is willing to pay extra for faster delivery. In Russia, for example, this share amounted to close to half of online shoppers last year.
Competition in B2C E-Commerce delivery in Europe is intense. Amazon.com launched one-hour delivery service in parts of London in 2015, with plans to expand the service’s coverage. In Germany, same-day delivery was launched by retailers such as Zalando, Media Markt and Saturn. Apart from providing faster delivery, online merchants also aim at offering wider delivery options for online shoppers’ convenience. For example, in Turkey, online merchant Morhipo.com started to offer customers a click-and-collect option in cooperation with retail stores. Overall, yStats.com’s report reveals that because B2C E-Commerce delivery is an important factor in determining online shoppers’ satisfaction, retailers, courier companies and postal services compete and cooperate to provide the best options.
