nShift

Delivery experience key to Black-Friday success

London (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Retailers must prepare their infrastructure now, to ensure consumer choice
during peak season
- The "summer sales" season presents a great opportunity to test infrastructure
ahead of peak
- Retailers should embrace popular PUDO (pick up / drop off) options

The speed and convenience of the delivery is more important to Black Friday
shoppers than deals and discounts, according to research. Retailers must give
customers the delivery experience they want at the same time as managing an
uplift in demand during peak season. This is the view of nShift , the global
leader in multi-carrier shipping software.

Black Friday - taking place on 29 November - remains one of the busiest shopping
days of the year. During the bargain bonanza, people will flock in store and
online in a bid to bag the best deals. However, according to a survey of over
1000 consumers, "free delivery" and "fast delivery" are the top two factors
shoppers consider when pondering a purchase.

The research also highlights the importance of alternative delivery and
collection options such as "click and collect".[1] This year, experts expect
PUDO (pick up / drop off) delivery options to be particularly popular. This is
when shoppers pick up their purchase from a locker or nominated collection
point.

nShift , the leading software provider that enables multi-carrier delivery and
experience management from checkout through returns, has created five top tips
for creating a winning delivery experience fit for peak season:

1. Give customers the delivery options they want - retailers must prioritize
delivery personalization and give shoppers the shipping solutions they seek.
While some expect next-day deliveries to their front door, others would
prefer to pick up their parcel from a locker or nominated pick up point. This
is increasingly popular with home workers who hate being disturbed during an
important call
2. Make the delivery options easy to see and scan - badging and labeling options
at checkout make it simpler for the shopper to find what they want. For
example, adding a locker next to a shipping choice shows that it's a pick up
/ drop off (PUDO) option
3. Create re-marketing opportunities - by taking control of order-tracking and
delivery updates, retailers can ensure communications are branded in their
own look and feel. This increases loyalty and sets the scene for remarketing
4. Retain revenue from returns - as many as 30% of Black Friday purchases risk
ending up as returns. While consumers do expect a straightforward returns
policy, sent-back items risk becoming the silent killer of peak-season
profits. The right delivery experience will help convert returns to