A national survey of UK shoppers’ online shopping habits has revealed that almost five percent people have taken ‘sick days’ from work in order to wait in for a delivery, potentially costing the UK economy and employers millions of pounds each year.
The survey, commissioned by Shutl, the online platform that gives people control over their deliveries, raises questions over the UK’s current methods of delivery and has prompted the company to call for businesses and consumers to embrace new approaches to receiving products purchased online.
The findings, which also revealed that almost 50 percent of the population are planning to carry out the majority of their Christmas shopping online this year, suggests that employers could face more ‘Christmas sickies’ than usual as the UK approaches the festive party season.
The survey also revealed how:
Over 25 percent of online shoppers in the UK claim that their workplace is not happy for them to receive personal deliveries at work
Almost a third (30 percent) of UK shoppers are planning to do their Christmas shopping online more this year than last year
Over 40 percent regard Christmas shopping as a ‘necessary evil’
Perhaps one of the most alarming revelations was that almost three percent of UK households have left a window open or door unlocked while they were out to ensure that their online shopping delivery could be made, prompting concerns about the level of risk taking UK shoppers are prepared to make to avoid being inconvenienced.
Shutl, an eBay owned company, enables shoppers to arrange same day delivery in as little as 90 minutes or at a preferred one hour slot. The service, which aims to challenge conventional delivery methods and help improve the online shopping experience by making same day delivery available to everyone, costs as little as £5 per delivery.
Jason Tavaria, Head of Direct at Shutl, comments: “The research is a real eye opener when it comes to the lengths that people are prepared to go to to avoid getting that ‘missed delivery’ slip through the door. Until now the public has had no choice but to play a passive role when it comes to delivery. With Shutl, consumers can now be proactive and arrange for delivery to be made at a time that suits them. What we’re calling ‘click-and-don’t-collect’ is the next step on from ‘click and collect’ and we believe that it’s the future of online shopping and will radically improve the online shopping experience.”
Methodology
The SurveyMonkey research comprised a sample size of 2,254 respondents throughout the UK’s regions and took place in November 2015.
*Figures based on the UK’s working population of 38.1 million people (source: www.gov.uk) and its median gross weekly pay of £528 (source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2015)
Source: www.shutl.com