Changes in Delivery Expectations due to COVID19

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Changes in Delivery Expectations due to
COVID19
In a short span of time, COVID-19 has
altered everyday life for everyone. With
social distancing guidelines, people have
reconsidered and changed how they shop and get
their goods which has led to a shift in
consumer mindset. People have now moved to
shopping online, even more so than before,
because of all the closures due to COVID-19
leading to new consumer norms when it
comes to E- commerce.
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But with this online shopping trend comes a
shift in expectations. With being in lockdown for
months and states finally reopening slowly,
customers now have different ways to obtain what
they need than before which requires retailers
to adapt accordingly. One result is this
unforeseen rapid rise of e- commerce. But
with this new online shopping traffic, stores
must do all they can to provide the best customer
experience and also keep up and predict trends in
purchasing and act accordingly. Amidst this
global pandemic, there are many more consumers
now experimenting with E-commerce. E- commerce
is seen as a reliable and safe
option for consumers. In fact, Gordon
Haskett Research reported that one-third of
shoppers bought food online during the early
phase of pandemic shopping. A Shift in Online
Delivery Experience- As a result, one expectation
that consumers have as a result of COVID is
updates in their normal delivery process. Now,
being stuck at home, people want faster
delivery while also being able to track their
packages. Customers know that due to the
pandemic, there will be issues but they are much
more likely to respond positively if they know
where their packages are at any given point in
time. Companies can provide alerts in the
shopping cart and product description of the
available delivery options for different
products. For example, companies can allow
for a curbside pickup for consumers that
want to be proactive. Customers want to
know as much shipping information as
possible and this requires transparency from
the retailers end. For example, there can be
changes in the delivery time and having a heads
up makes the consumer more tolerable of changes.
These options also allow an opportunity for
consumers to pay for different shipping options
that can carry into a post-corona world. Another
trend to notice that has been adopted by many
companies is contactless delivery. With the rise
of coronavirus, there has been an emphasis
on social distancing and avoiding as much
contact as possible that is changing our worlds
regular norm. In response to these changing
norms, food delivery services like Grubhub, and
chains like Dominos have placed a huge deal of
emphasis on the contactless part of their
delivery by allowing consumers to direct exactly
where they want their food left on their porch or
garage. The delivery drivers also take a picture
to guarantee that the product was left in the
said spot which brings the customer ease.
Additionally, these marketing efforts highlight
how strictly they try to maintain sanitary
conditions by making workers wear gloves and
masks throughout the process. On the flip
side, many people are also opting for curbside
pickup as they want to minimize the amount of
contact that their packages have, which again
reflects this new clean norm that the pandemic
has brought in. Businesses need to find a
way to differentiate their delivery processes
(ie. like creating different options for their
customers that include these clean procedures.)
and adhere to these new norms to be successful
post-corona and have a competitive edge.
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• During Corona
• Businesses should be focused on
• Providing consumers with as much information
  about their deliveries (ie. tracking info,
  stock info, estimated delivery dates) directly in
  their shopping cart
• Using delivery services that have an emphasis on
  clean delivery like the contactless that food
  services have adapted.
• Focus on sending alerts after the order is placed
  to keep the consumer informed and looking forward
  to the delivery.
• A perfect example of extra communication with
  consumers is showcased below by Sephora. They
  let their customers know to expect delays and
  have tracking options after people have placed
  their orders! The email that they send highlights
  their position with Corona, notifies consumers
  that there might be delays, and provides easy
  access to tracking packages.

• Post Corona
• Businesses can
• Have a differentiated process that attracts more
  consumers
• Charge different prices for different
  shipping/delivery options
• Have a more connected and communicative
  relationship with their consumers
• All in all, consumers want more communications in
  regards to the delivery process of their
  purchases. It is expected that there will be
  hitches in delivery processes during this
  unprecedented time due to backlogged orders,
  running out of stock, maintaining a
  sanitary environment for their workers, hard
  times due to the pandemic and other reasons. But
  by providing different delivery options,
  prioritizing tracking and other information, and
  emphasizing the cleanliness of the delivery,
  retailers can riverside

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their strategy. Retailers can conform to
new and different consumer behaviors and
adjust to their platforms accordingly. The
good news is that FenixCommerce is already
helping retailers tackle these issues because we
think ahead! In fact, businesses that have used
our services have seen significant benefits, like
having a 14 incremental conversion rate and
having over a 75 reduction in customer
queries. We do this by providing accurate
delivery estimates on the product, cart and
checkout pages which is a crucial component
for consumers today. Here at FenixCommerce, we
go beyond delivery and strengthen retail-
consumer relationships! Read More on Estimated
Delivery Dates visit- FenixCommerce