Fast deliveries are a key criterion for the majority of companies surveyed (81 percent) when choosing their shipping service provider. A good half (56 percent) deliver the goods within one to two working days, 38 percent need three to five working days and only in exceptional cases (2 percent) is the order delivered on the same day. A delivery time of more than five working days is unusual (1 percent), according to the EHI study.
Delivery costs
The days of free delivery are largely over. Only 30 percent of the online retailers surveyed generally offer free delivery. 40 percent cover the shipping costs when a certain value of goods is reached and another 30 percent generally pass the shipping costs on to the customer.
Return costs
“The study results make it clear once again that returns represent a significant cost burden for many online retailers,” explains Niklas Stanislawski, Logistics Project Manager at EHI and author of the study. 18 percent of the online retailers surveyed estimate up to 5 euros per return. 30 percent estimate the cost per item at 5 to 10 euros. For a good quarter, namely 26 percent, the cost per return is between 10 and 20 euros. For 4 percent, costs of up to 50 euros can arise and for a few (3 percent) even more. The economic burden of returns depends heavily on individual factors such as the product range, the return rate and the logistical processes.
The processing of returns should be as smooth as possible. While 55 percent of retailers process returns within three working days, 45 percent still show a need for optimization. Nevertheless, retailers are gradually accommodating customers and processing processes increasingly faster. To avoid more returns, retailers use data-based analyses. For example, 81 percent systematically record reasons for returns. The proportion of retailers who derive concrete measures from this data has risen to 67 percent.
The complete results of the study Shipping and Returns Management in E-Commerce 2024 will be presented at EHI Connect on October 1st and 2nd in Düsseldorf.
