New research from Shipup has highlighted the UK’s poor delivery standards causing customer complaints – with 2 out of every 5 complaints (almost 40%) being customers not receiving an expected package at all.
“British shoppers have faced a frustrating period of slow and unreliable delivery service, and our latest investigation reveals the worrying extent of the problem.” says Agop Ashcan, CEO of Shipup.
“The UK’s carrier network is clearly under pressure, and the resulting negative delivery experiences are going to create a financial burden for businesses that rely on good service to retain customers.“
Customers in the UK are currently 16.5% more likely to not receive an item they ordered in comparison to the global average.
Despite a baseline expectation of 2-3 days to wait for a delivery for 90% of consumers, the average UK delivery time is 4.5 days, or 107 hours.
Last year’s peak holiday season saw complaints skyrocket in November and December 2023, then January 2024. The reported delivery complaints from customers increased 109%, 249%, and 58% in those busy shopping months respectively.
“People are often more happy to prioritise cost over convenience when it comes to deliveries, but for packages to not arrive at all is a clear indication that businesses need to take serious action if they are to avoid losing loyal customers,“ Ashjian continues. “If delivery problems can’t be avoided, businesses at least need to be transparent, proactive, and consistent with their communications and loyalty schemes to keep consumers happy with their service.”
The UK’s two main delivery difficulties were to do with logistics, with inaccurate delivery times (13.2%) and wrong or missing products (11.5%) among the top remaining reasons for complaints being filed.
On the plus side, UK shoppers were almost half as likely to have reported damage to their packages (16.3% globally vs 8.4% in the UK).
The new research particularly showcases the UK’s poor delivery standards. With peak holiday season fast approaching, it’s important to be aware of these issues and tackle them as soon as possible.