E-Commerce, News

Consumers spend less and are more selective, while 79% say they were more forgiving about delivery experiences during pandemic

  • 63% of consumers admit to spending less in shops and online than a year ago
  • 43% won’t accept COVID-19 as a reason for poor delivery or customer service experiences anymore

London UK; 28th June 2022: Consumers are spending less and are more selective with their purchases, while 79% say they were more forgiving about delivery experiences during the pandemic. That’s according to new data from delivery experience platform Sorted, which unveiled the current consumer ecommerce and delivery trends in the face of the rising cost of goods.

The survey, consisting of 2,000 respondents in the UK and US, found that 82% of shoppers admit to being more money-conscious now due to inflation. The main reasons given for them spending less were Brexit/rising cost of goods at 56% (UK respondents), followed by more discounts in-store and online (24%) and a lack of consumer confidence (16%). Unsurprisingly, two thirds of consumers admit to spending less in shops and online than a year ago.

Consumers are fed up with the pandemic excuse

The data revealed that 66% of consumers noticed an increase in customer service problems for purchases and/or deliveries when the pandemic began, with 56% still experiencing these problems now. Worryingly, 63% say poor delivery service would stop them of purchasing from a company again, while 43% won’t accept COVID-19 as a reason for poor delivery or customer service experiences anymore.

Carmen Carey, CEO of Sorted, commented: “Inflation across the UK and the US is the highest it has been in decades, and consumers are having to rethink their spending habits as a result. With money tight, brands are going to be competing more than ever for share of mind and wallet. With customer loyalty at its most fragile, there is absolutely no room for error when offering delivery experiences.”

Consumer spending habits

The survey found that over a third of respondents said they are likely to spend more than usual during Amazon Prime Day in July. Thirty-two percent also now shop at other flash sales throughout the year.

As inflation continues to soar, low shipping costs appeared as the most valued aspect of the delivery experience today (37%). This was followed by delivering on time (32%) and having proactive updates about orders/returns (23%), demonstrating the direct link between delivery experiences and loyalty.