In an effort to key into international consumer expectations of global online shopping, ESW (which was formerly known as eShopWorld), conducted a survey that showed 67 percent of respondents are “more likely to shop across borders if transparent and trackable shipping details are provided.”
The company also said in its “Global Voices: Pre-Peak Pulse 2021” report that “despite faster global delivery speeds, [57 percent of] consumers will accept a longer delivery window with free shipping.” That sentiment is a shift from research conducted by other firms last holiday shopping season that showed less tolerance on delivery lead times.
Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, president and chief executive officer of the Americas at ESW, said the company is “expecting to see increased demand in global direct-to-consumer shopping this holiday season, particularly as consumers are looking for new and exciting shopping options outside of their own locality.”
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Bousquet-Chavanne said international merchants and direct-to-consumer brands need to provide shipping transparency and offer top-notch customer service “to fully capture the sales opportunity and consumer loyalty.”
In its report, ESW said “understanding and addressing international consumers’ expectations will drive higher adoption for cross border shopping.” Authors of the report described shipping as “the number-one customer service issue facing international direct-to-consumer brands.” ESW’s survey polled 15,000 shoppers across 14 countries and found that although “two-thirds of respondents said they expected an international delivery to take longer than a domestic one, ESW’s data indicates many global delivery times increasingly rival domestic ones.”
Regarding customer service and transparency, ESW’s survey found that two-thirds of respondents said they understand that customer service help “may not be immediately available with cross border e-commerce retailers, yet three-quarters [of those polled] feel that transparency around response time is essential.”
ESW recommended retailers and brands provide delivery and customer service response timeframes, adding that “encouraging early purchasing to avoid disappointment, offering tracked delivery and indicating delivery costs pre-purchase help consumers feel more in control of the process.”
“Meeting customers’ expectations with transparency and clear communication are the critical components required for brands to drive more international direct-to-consumer purchases this holiday season,” ESW said in the report.