• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, January 20, 2017

According to the “State of Post-Purchase Experience Report” published by Narvar, shoppers are increasingly frustrated or anxious with online purchases and express concerns about damaged packages, on-time delivery, and returns after they click “buy.” 49% of shoppers worry about their package being damaged while in transit, and 42% of shoppers don’t trust that the package will arrive on time.

Amit Sharma, CEO of Narvar, says “… shopping today… no longer delivers that sense of wonder or excitement it once had… after people purchase is a critical time for brands… when done right, savvy retailers will be able inspire greater customer loyalty and repeat sales as a result…”

Addressing anxiety after customers make a purchase is key in driving retail sales, says the report of a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults that have shopped online in the past year, analyzing how they feel when engaging with brands in the critical moment between purchase and fulfillment, and what this means for retailers.

The report says that consumers will spend over $4 trillion in online retail by 2020, up from $1.5 trillion in 2015 according to eMarketer. Retailers have an opportunity to capture their share of this massive market, if they are able to evolve with consumers’ changing online shopping behaviors.

A retailer’s ability to make the post-purchase experience seamless can be the difference between a one-time transaction and loyal, repeat customer, says the report. The survey found that across the board, an on-time, easy delivery experience was ranked over loyalty points, responsive customer service, and association with a good cause, among others when it comes to becoming a repeat customer. 70% of consumers say an easy return or exchange is likely to make them a repeat customer.

Key Findings from Narvar’s State of Post-Purchase Experience Report include:

• Shoppers today hold all retailers (including Amazon) to the same high standards for the post-purchase experience, says the report. Consumers have numerous anxieties related to the post-purchase experience, spanning delivery timing, trust, package damages and returns. These concerns are present year-long, Having an item arrive on time is the No. 1 thing people said would make them a repeat customer of a brand, with 72% of people saying this would be a contributing factor.
• 42% of shoppers don’t trust that the package will arrive on time; 49% of the people surveyed worry about their package being damaged while in transit, more than any other post-purchase worry; 65% of consumers want to print a label and send the item back themselves, or 73% when looking at high percentage age online shoppers.
• Shoppers ages 18-29 prefer email, but they’re more open to receiving communications through other channels. When compared to shoppers 45 and older, they’re 2½ times more likely to want to interact through a retailer’s app, three times more likely to interact via Facebook Messenger, and 1½  times more likely to interact via text/SMS.
• Those shoppers under 30 are 28% more likely to say that having an affiliation with a cause will make them more likely to be a repeat customer. Those under 30 are much more interested in seeing how others are using the same products than the general population. 50% of those under 30 were more likely than general population (40%) to say loyalty programs would make them a repeat customer.

For more information, visit www.narvar.com