The latest publication of the German-based online research firm yStats.com, “North America B2C E-Commerce Delivery 2023” provides insights into the current state and future trends of B2C E-Commerce deliveries in the U.S. and Canada. Among other findings, the publication reveals free delivery to be one of the top factors encouraging Internet users in North America to complete an online purchase.
The number of online food delivery platform users in North America increased significantly during the pandemic
Due to more people staying at home and switching to a more digital lifestyle during the pandemic, the online food delivery market experienced significant growth during this period. The number of online food delivery platform users in the U.S. increased by a single-digit percentage between 2020 and 2021, while the number of food delivery platform users in Canada more than doubled in the same period. Despite this tremendous growth in Canada, the overall number of online food delivery platform users varied greatly between the two countries. In 2021, the number of food delivery platform users in the U.S. was around eight times the number of users in Canada. With the grocery and food delivery market expected to grow further in the coming years, many restaurant franchise owners in the U.S. are planning to invest in the improvement or expansion of their delivery services in 2022.
A variety of aspects of the delivery and return process drives online purchases in North America
The speed of deliveries is an equally important factor for online shoppers in the U.S. and Canada when making purchases online, but it is not the only factor influencing the purchasing decision of consumers. In the U.S. and Canada, free delivery ranked among the top factors encouraging Internet users to complete an online purchase. To qualify for free shipping, a double-digit percentage of online shoppers were willing to buy more than they had originally planned, demonstrating the importance of free deliveries for U.S. consumers. Other factors influencing Internet users in North America to complete an online purchase were an easy return process, next-day delivery options and the possibility to have a click-and-collect delivery. Canadian online shoppers used the click-and-collect delivery method more than their U.S. counterparts, with the number of U.S. consumers preferring home deliveries increasing between 2020 and 2021.
