One in three online shoppers had problems with their orders this Christmas

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Almost one in three (31%) of the UK’s online shoppers had problems with their internet orders this Christmas, a new study has found.

A YouGov report, commissioned by software company JDA and carried out on December 29 and 30, found that 47% of the 2,398 people questioned did at least half of their shopping online. Of those who did Christmas shopping online, 18% did more than they had originally planned over the internet.

Of the 31% who said they had experienced problems, 49% had missed deliveries, and 45% had experienced late deliveries or found the goods did not arrive.

“The growth of online retail in the UK shows no sign of slowing down. At the same time, customers’ service expectations are greater than ever, meaning they will simply shop elsewhere if retailers fail to meet them,” said Jason Shorrock, retail strategy director at JDA. “This in turn is placing greater strain on retailers’ supply chain capabilities, especially over the Christmas period when demand is at its highest. Retail phenomena such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday have only further increased consumer demand, yet retailers still struggle to cope effectively with its implications. The Christmas shopping experience can often dictate a person’s shopping habits for the next 12 months and beyond. At a time when margins remain squeezed, retailers need to ensure they are delivering a great experience both online and in store. Those that don’t will not have much to celebrate next Christmas.”

The research also found a rise in the use of click and collect services, with 39% using the service over Christmas, and a quarter saying they had chosen to shop with a retailer that offered it over one that only offered home delivery. And one in five (19%) moved on to another retailer after finding their original choice did not have an item available online, or delivery times that worked for them.

Some 61% of those click and collect users said they used it to avoid delivery charges while 53% chose it for its convenience. Just over a third (34%) said they would use the service more in their next Christmas shopping.

“Christmas 2014 was undoubtedly the year that online shoppers saw click and collect as a viable alternative to home delivery,” said Shorrock. “Shoppers want greater flexibility as to how and when they receive their online goods. But at the same time it is clear that home delivery reliability around the Christmas period remains something of a lottery. With growing numbers of consumers opting to shop with retailers that offer the option of click and collect those that can ensure order fulfillment excellence will be ultimate winners. Indeed, our research shows that nearly one in five online shoppers surveyed used an alternative retailer this Christmas as a result of their preferred one not having items available or having delivery times that met their requirements.”

In all, 40% had a very positive click and collect experience, but 35% came up against potentially negative issues: of them, 30% said they had long in-store waits because of a lack of staff, 29% said there was no dedicated in-store area, and 25% said staff took a long time, or could not, locate the orders in store.