Australians remain laid back about how quickly their purchases arrive, but cost of delivery is a major sticking point, according to a new survey commissioned by leading provider of distributed order management software, Fluent Commerce.
Only 28% of respondents said one-to-two-hour delivery was important to them, while 39% said same-day delivery was important. Interestingly, it appears Australians are more comfortable with longer delivery times with 52% of people saying next-day delivery was important, 58% saying the same about two-day delivery, and 59% saying three-to-five days was fine.
Three quarters (75%) of those surveyed said ‘free delivery’ was important to them when deciding which retailer to shop with. For women, this was even more important with 85% holding this view compared to 63% of men. In addition, only 5% of respondents said a late package would deter them from shopping with the same store again.
However, the global economic outlook, including rising interest rates, is expected to have an impact on buying behaviour, with 56% of respondents saying this will impact how much they spend. At the same time, almost one-quarter of those surveyed (22%) said they would not be deterred and planned to spend more on gifts compared to last year.
According to the survey, Australians may be leaning more towards in-store rather than online purchases, with 47% planning to mix-and-match online with in-store purchases. While 23% said they planned to shop mainly online compared to 28% heading to the shops for all Christmas shopping.
“Globally we are seeing a demand for faster delivery services, especially in metropolitan areas, but Australia is bucking this trend,” Fluent Commerce head of marketing, Veronika Birnkammer (pictured) said.
“In some ways it is refreshing that in the face of the pressures of Christmas shopping, Australians are so relaxed. While the sunshine may play its part, we also believe Australian shoppers are savvy and understand the unique and vast landscape they live in and the challenges this poses.
“As technology evolves, expectations may change, but the important thing for retailers is to set realistic delivery timeframes which they can meet to ensure no one is disappointed this Christmas.”