Global Study Reveals Online Shoppers Want More Flexibility

RESTON, VA and ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - Mar 4, 2015) - Online shoppers around the world want the ability to search and shop on multiple channels and devices, expect to see alternate delivery and payment options, and when it comes to shipping and returns, "free" is a driving factor to complete the sale.

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, and UPS (NYSE: UPS), a global leader in logistics and transportation services, released the second UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper™ Global Study revealing emerging trends from the leading e-commerce markets in Asia, Brazil, Europe, Mexico and the U.S.

According to the study, online shoppers across these markets are looking for alternate delivery options. This is especially high in Asia, where 45% of respondents said they would prefer to have their online order delivered to locations other than their home. When not at home to sign for a package, 33% said they want their items shipped to a local retail location authorized to hold the package for pickup at their convenience. Asian shoppers are avid technology users and the least patient with 48% expecting next-day shipping to be offered by retailers, the highest of any market.

Brazilian consumers are the most advanced and social in their online shopping habits. More than half (56%) of their purchases are made online, the highest of any market, and 64% said they are influenced by reviews or posts on social media to help decide which products to purchase. However, they experience barriers to shopping on a mobile device: 39% said they can't get a clear or large product image, 31% said they cannot easily view product information, and 34% said it is hard to compare products. Over a third (38%) of online shoppers in Brazil are willing to wait 11 days or more for their international orders in order to qualify for free shipping.

European online shoppers are gradually embracing emerging technologies. They make the fewest purchases on a smartphone (19%) compared to the other four markets and less than half (40%) use retailer mobile apps. They make more in-store purchases (54%) than they do online, and while shopping in a store, 61% prefer to check out with an associate. In response to delivery questions, 52% said they prefer seeing the expected arrival date rather than the number of days it will take for the item to arrive.