Autumn 2006

Internet retailers are still not really grasping the nettle when if comes to offering clear delivery information to consumers, or providing an adequate range of delivery options. That is the conclusion of this year's Delivery Report, an annual survey compiled for IMRG by Snow valley, a web consultancy.

The organisation found that among the 100 retailers contacted, 43 per cent offered no delivery choices - only marginally down on the 46 per cent last year. Just fourteen per cent allowed buyers to pick a time of day for delivery, compared with 11 per cent last year. And the percentage offering Saturday delivery had risen by just one, from 23 to 24.

Only 11 per cent offered delivery on a specified day, and this was unmistakably the province of the larger retailers. Forty-five per cent of these offered a selection, compared with 18 per cent generally.

Follow-up after ordering was inconsistent. Only 6 per cent of etailers sent no confirmatory emails to consumers at all, but 17 per cent sent just one order acknowledgement, while 3 per cent sent no fewer than four.

Online order tracking was definitely changing for the better. Eight per cent of respondents had added this, raising the figure from 59 to 67 per cent.

Superficially, so-called "free" delivery showed no change; it was still offered by 13 per cent of respondents. But five had added it and another five had withdrawn it. Snow Valley adds that in all, 37 retailers had changed their delivery charges during the year; nine had lowered the price, but 23 had increased it.

Overall, on a count of 14 aspects of home delivery, the report found only two areas where the improvement since last year exceeded 5 per cent - deliveries limited to billing address only (down from 17 to 9 per cent) and online tracking. But it adds that many retailers "are actively trying out new ideas when it comes to delivery."